bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maximising the language and learning link in computer learning environments
Authors: McLoughlin Catherine , Oliver Ron
Published: March 2003

In studies on the implementation and educational uses of computers there are reports of changes in students' behaviour as a result of working with computers (Rowe, 1993; Crook, 1994). Social, collaborative and dialogic exchanges have been observed as students engage in tasks around computers. This research provides evidence that the computer is a social facilitator in the sense that it provides opportunities for collaboration, group work and interaction which fosters cognitive change (Wild, 1995).

This article recognises the social role of the computer, and supports the view that computers can be used to facilitate learning through language. There is growing awareness that if we are to realise the full potential of computers in education, consideration must be given to their role as catalysts in the learning process, rather than technological tools (Hawkridge, 1990). Computer assisted learning has progressed through many phases, and through investigation of underlying theoretical frameworks it is possible to recognise the change of focus from individual accounts of learning to social perspectives.

Theoretical frameworks which emphasise the social dimensions of learning (Vygotsky, 1978) legitimise the link between computers, language use and learning and indicate that computers must be integrated into the social life of classrooms if their pedagogical benefits are to be realised.
Constructivism in Mass Higher Education: a Case Study
Authors: Bostock Stephen J.
Published: March 2003

Constructivist educational principles suggest that educational environments should provide learners with personal control, authentic learning contexts, and diverse personal interactions including collaboration. How can such constructivist values be applied to mass Higher Education? Traditional methods cannot achieve it with large student numbers but computer‐based media are scaleable and may support constructivist learning. A new course for non‐science undergraduates provided an opportunity for a constructivist design using the World Wide Web, email, and video. The design of the course, its implementation and evaluation are described. Authentic assessment was critical. Web forms and e‐mail supported some necessary personal interactions, but collaborative work was problematical.
Cultural Issues in the Design of Technology‐Enhanced Learning Systems
Authors: Chen Ai‐Yen , Mashhadi Azam , Ang Daniel , Harkrider Nancy
Published: March 2003

The pervasive influence of culture should be regarded as a significant concern in the design of technology‐enhanced learning systems. In fact, it has been included as one of the five essential foundations of effective student‐centred learning environments (Chen and Mashhadi, 1998). The other foundations are psychological, pedagogical, technological, and pragmatic. This article will focus mainly on the cultural and pedagogical considerations in the design of student‐centred learning systems with particular reference to three cases in Singapore. The experiences will illustrate some of the challenges and problems in designing and implementing learning systems in three different contexts: local‐institutional, trans‐institutional, and global. Some of the instructional design issues include those articulated by Collins (1997) in his consideration for building a constructivist learning environment. They are related to learning goals such as thoughtfulness vs memorization, whole tasks vs component skills tasks, breadth vs depth of knowledge, diverse vs uniform expertise, understanding vs access, cognitive vs physical fidelity. Two other issues also merit consideration, namely authentic vs abstract problem solving, and multi‐directional and multimedia communication vs direct one‐way communication.

In the design of three Singapore‐based learning systems, the cultural assumptions of prevailing beliefs about education, the values of Singaporean multicultural society, and the role of individuals in society were considered. Two of the systems were designed for student teachers and the third was meant for students collaborating on projects across schools and nations. Lessons learned from the three experiences will be discussed with a view to making recommendations to other educators, instructional designers and policy makers in their decisions regarding their use of technology‐enhanced learning systems to nurture a more independent, thoughtful, resourceful, creative and responsible generation of citizens.
Toward a philosophy of instructional technology: thirty years on
Authors: Ely Donald
Published: March 2003

A current assessment of the “philosophy” of instructional technology is made using a 1970 BJET article as the basis of comparison. Each hypothesis of the original article is revisited and updated according to contemporary trends: (1) instructional technology is not yet a discipline; (2) the behavioural science concept of instructional technology is more valid than the physical science concept; (3) technology offers the best organizing concept for the development of the field and its evolution into a discipline; and (4) any statement of philosophy regarding instructional technology is tentative. The influence of distance education, public acceptance of media and technology, and training by artificial intelligence procedures in business and industry are nominated as important factors in bringing about major changes in the field. Each professional should develop a unique philosophy based on personal experiences in the field.
Visions of change: information technology, education and postmodernism
Authors: Conlon Tom
Published: March 2003

The questions that dominate the discourse of IT in education are mostly at the technical or craft levels. Visionary questions relating to the purpose of education and the proper place of technology are not much discussed. This paper seeks to undermine the idea that such questions should be avoided. The context of postmodernist change is described and two contrasting visions of education are discussed. Each vision is a hypothetical but recognisable representation of certain trends in educational thinking. Each vision has appeal but also severe shortcomings. The paper concludes that unless teachers, learners and communities can articulate their own visions of educational change, new technology could take them into a future that they would never willingly have chosen.
Videotutoring, non‐verbal communication and initial teacher training
Authors: Nichol Jon , Watson Kate
Published: March 2003

Telematics has the potential to transform Higher Education through creating a distributed community of tutors and students. Videotutoring is central to telematics, enabling personal tutoring to occur at a distance. Within the context of a post‐graduate teacher training course, videotutoring was used to tutor two students during the first six weeks of their first full‐time school placement. Both ends of the videosignal were recorded. Analysis of the tapes used a protocol based upon research into non‐verbal communication (NVC). NVC is as important as verbal communication in the tutorial process. Findings suggest that the interaction of participants mediated through the screen was significantly different from face‐to‐face communication in relation to the two‐dimensional image of the screen and the “viewing frame” effect of the physical boundaries of the image. The viewing frame literally served as the proscenium arch of a theatre. Two‐dimensionality and the viewing frame effect emphasised both the positive and negative elements in inter‐personal communication as represented in Argyle's social skills and Goffman's theatrical models. The conclusion is that videotutoring can potentially be a more effective form of tutoring than face‐to‐face interaction.
Individualized special education with cognitive skill assessment
Authors: Kurhila Jaakko , Laine Tei
Published: March 2003

Ahmed is a learning environment which—in addition to supporting openness in learning materials and adaptivity in learning events—supports evaluation of a learner's cognitive skills. The intended learners in the environment are disabled children. We present a justification of the system by comparing it to previous intelligent tutoring systems. Despite some shortcomings in Ahmed's philosophy, it provides a usable addition to the computer‐aided special education.
Primary school children's use of ICT
Authors: Selwyn Neil , Bullon Kate
Published: March 2003

This article reports on a study of 267 primary children (Year 2 and 6) in five schools in South and Mid Wales. It examines their use of information and communications technology (ICT) both in school and at home using a combination of interview and questionnaire data. These data reveal that although the vast majority of children are making some use of computers in school, patterns of sustained and varied engagement with ICT are rare; with educational use of computers curtailed by a variety of classroom factors. Moreover, although many children could be considered to be sophisticated and knowledgeable consumers of ICT, their outside‐of‐school access to technology is varied. The findings raise questions about the nature of ICT use in primary classrooms and the need to ensure meaningful and regular access to technology in school for all children.
VINCE—an on‐line tutorial tool for teaching introductory programming
Authors: Rowe Glenn , Thorburn Gareth
Published: March 2003

We describe a tutorial tool which allows the execution of a C program to be graphically displayed. VINCE (Visual Instruction for Novices in a C Environment) is written in Java, allowing it to be used on the web. The student can enter their own C code, or select from a menu of pre‐written tutorials, each illustrating a particular aspect of programming. The tool provides a simulated map of the computer's memory, showing where pointers and variables are stored. The map is dynamically updated as the program is executed. Explanatory notes for each step are provided. The program's function stack may be viewed. At present, the tool can only deal with syntactically correct C code. The package may be used at
Writing through time: longitudinal studies of the effects of new technology on writing
Authors: Hartley James , Howe Michael , McKeachie Wilbert
Published: March 2003

This paper contributes to the discussion about the effects of new technology on writing by assessing whether or not people's writing styles and ways of thinking change when new technologies are introduced. The writing styles of the three authors, prolific writers in their own fields, were assessed by comparing materials written by each author over a thirty‐year period. During this time there were, for each author, great changes in the ways that they used new technology to help them to write. Nonetheless, the results indicated that, although the writing styles of each author differed from each other, their individual styles were remarkably consistent over time. These results thus suggest that although the new technologies may change the ways that individual writers work, they do not alter the styles of their resulting products.
Bayesian student modeling and the problem of parameter specification
Authors: Millán E , Agosta J M , Pérez de la Cruz J L
Published: March 2003

In this paper, the application of Bayesian networks to student modeling is discussed. A review of related work is made, and then the structural model is defined. Two of the most commonly cited reasons for not using Bayesian networks in student modeling are the computational complexity of the algorithms and the difficulty of the knowledge acquisition process. We propose an approach to simplify knowledge acquisition. Our approach applies causal independence to factor the conditional probabilities and decrease the parameters required for each question to a number linear in the number of concepts. This also provides the new parameters with an intuitive meaning that makes their specification easier. Finally, we present an example to illustrate the use of our approach.
Portable computers for teachers and support services working with pupils with Special Educational Needs: An evaluation of the 1999 United Kingdom Department for Education and Employment scheme
Authors: Lewis Ann , Neill Sean
Published: March 2003

This study arose from the distribution of portable computers (“portables”) to special educational needs coordinators and support services by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) through Standards Grant 36 in mid 1999. The study comprised two successive questionnaires. The aim of the surveys was to elicit the benefits of portables in relation to the special educational needs coordinator/support service roles as well as to evaluate this process of distributing resources.

Questionnaire A to local education authorities (LEAs) was returned by 96 LEAs (a 64% return rate). There were 778 returns of questionnaire B from recipients of portables and 405 returns from the matched group of non‐recipients.

Overall the distribution of portables under this grant was well‐regarded by LEA personnel, particularly in the smaller authorities, with reservations relating mainly to the lack of time to administer the scheme. The guidance from the DfEE was regarded as helpful with inherent (valued) flexibility. Amount and level of training appeared to have varied greatly across LEAs but where training had been relatively substantial there was evidence of its impact on teachers' reported use of the portables. The scheme was welcomed by school and, particularly, support service staff. However all recipient groups tended to reflect some disappointment with what the portable provided in practice.

Three particular aspects are discussed in more detail. First, in relation to time and workload issues, it was reported that teachers were spending considerable “non work” time in learning to make good use of the portables. Second, there were considerable training needs for teachers and others, spanning a wide range of levels. Third, the position of support service staff warranted more attention as their apparently comparatively disadvantageous position has implications for wider changes concerning centralised LEA, as opposed to school‐based, resources.
A study on the evaluation and effectiveness analysis of web‐based learning portfolio (WBLP)
Authors: Chang Chi‐Cheng
Published: March 2003

This research evaluates a Web‐Based Learning Portfolio through practical teaching process to understand if the WBLP system helps students to grasp the learning process and enhances learning outcomes. The questionnaire includes four aspects: system functions, interface, system use, and its impacts on learning process. The questionnaire has gone through the processes of pre‐test and pilot‐study to verify its validity. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients are all above 0.75, and thus show that the reliability level of the questionnaire has attained a rather reliable level. As many as 85.84% of the users regard the functions of the WBLP system appropriate, 80% regard the system interface easy to operate, 48.3% perform very well in system, 88.84% feel the system has benefited their learning. The evaluation results reveal there is still a room of improvement, eg, the system has not yet established a complete mechanism for scoring. The insufficiency in terms of dynamic management functions for supporting users is yet to be improved. Then will we be able to extend the WBLP to a more powerful system that can truly support the assessments and auto‐management work. We will conduct a further experimental study in terms of learning effectiveness for the system.
Marketing undergraduates' attitudes towards query‐based instructional machines as a possible learning medium
Authors: Bennett Roger , Kottasz Rita
Published: March 2003

Six hundred and seventy‐one undergraduates completed a questionnaire concerning their reactions to the idea that parts of their degree programmes might be delivered via Query Based Instructional Machines. The latter are commonplace in museums and other cultural attractions. They are menu‐driven and operate on the touch‐screen principle, thus allowing the user to browse through whichever aspects of a subject the person finds most interesting. Cognitive, affective and conative responses were measured and related to students' personal characteristics, degree programme, year of study, level of academic attainment, psychological involvement with a course, and innate tendencies vis‐à‐vis need for cognition, curiosity, and change leadership. The sample comprised students on three categories of degree programme: marketing, computing, or humanities. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was completed using aggregated responses as dependent variables, degree type as the fixed factor (grouping variable), and personal characteristics and inclinations as covariates. There were a number of significant differences between the responses of the marketing students and students in the other groups.
Electronic information resources in undergraduate education: an exploratory study of opportunities for student learning and independence
Authors: McDowell Liz
Published: March 2003

The fast–growing array of electronic information resources is often viewed as a significant opportunity for change in education, with shifts towards increased student independence in learning. In order for this to happen students need to develop the capability to deal with information. This qualitative interview–based study examines lecturer perspectives on the roles of electronic information resources in undergraduate education. In line with the phenomenographic tradition, three functional categories of electronic information use are proposed. Firstly, the “electronic academic library” offers new opportunities for access to materials but lecturers indicated minimal change to their teaching approaches. Electronic resources were simply added to reading lists and the responsibility for developing students’ information skills was seen to rest with librarians. Secondly, lecturers identified changes towards more constructivist approaches to learning, drawing upon new sources of primary data available electronically and described specific teaching approaches to assist students to develop the relevant information handling skills. Finally, lecturers were uncertain about the value of the wider information resources of the Internet/Web for students and were concerned about variable information quality and the possibilities of plagiarism. The research indicates that information use in student learning is a multi–faceted phenomenon. Much current discussion centres on the concept of information literacy which draws together information skills and subject‐related skills and knowledge. Students do not merely require generic information skills but a knowledge of the discipline and the capability to handle complex information. Partnerships between academics and librarians are a way forward in helping students to develop as autonomous information users. Not only do the two professional groups offer different expertise, but they also bring different perspectives on the problematic balance between student autonomy and student support.
The quality of teaching and learning via videoconferencing
Authors: Knipe Damian , Lee Maria
Published: March 2003

Now that videoconferencing is being widely used for the delivery of mass lectures between sites, there is concern that the quality of teaching and learning experienced, using this method of delivery, is not as good as that experienced in a traditional classroom situation. The study aimed to investigate this concern by using a research diary to collect information on classroom activities and cognitive outcomes which students at local and remote sites experienced over a ten–week period. The results indicated that remote site students did not experience the same quality of teaching and learning as local site students.
Supporting student learning: the use of computer–based formative assessment modules
Authors: Peat Mary , Franklin Sue
Published: March 2003

This paper describes the development of a variety of computer–based assessment opportunities, both formative and summative, that are available to a large first year biology class at The University of Sydney. These materials include: weekly quizzes; a mock exam; quiz sections in tutorials; and special self–assessment modules (SAMs). The weekly quiz is password protected and secure but the remaining materials are available on–line from a Virtual Learning Environment (http://FYBio.bio.usyd.edu.au/VLE/L1/). Evaluations over a number of years of the use and usefulness of the formative assessment materials indicate that the student population is making significant use of materials and that these materials are helping students in their learning
The Nature of Some Recent Trade Union Modernization Policies in the UK
Authors: Williams Steve
Published: March 2003

This article draws on recent research to present findings concerning the nature of some recent trade union modernization policies in the UK. In response to decline, it can be seen that the unions have increasingly been encouraged to represent and service members more as individuals than as part of a collective. This appears to be consonant with the frequently expressed view that greater individualism, both in employment and in society more generally, has largely been responsible for recent union weaknesses, and that if they are to endure the unions should adapt to it. Using data generated from interviews with full‐time officers from a number of unions and from a case study of Unison organization within a local authority, the paper identifies two crucial problems with such an approach. First, it is argued that the substantial difficulties that the unions have experienced recently have been caused by a process of decollectivization in employment relations, and not one of individualization. Second, an indication of the complexity of the relationship between individualism and collectivism within trade unionism is given, something that is entirely ignored by proponents of the thesis that unions should concentrate solely on appealing to individuals.
Strategy and Trade Union Effectiveness in a Neo‐liberal Environment
Authors: Boxall Peter , Haynes Peter
Published: March 2003

In the absence of state sponsorship, unions must become more effective in the workplace or suffer the inevitable consequences. The analysis of union strategy and effectiveness, however, presents special difficulties. We adopt a strategic choice perspective, defining strategy as a framework of critical, enacted choices about the ends and means of an organization. For unions in a neo‐liberal context, this means that strategy can be described in terms of the nexus between two complex dimensions: union‐worker relations and union‐employer relations. On this basis, we identify four broad patterns of union strategic choice in the New Zealand environment: classic, paper tiger, consultancy, and partnership unionism. Those patterns in which union‐worker relations rely on ‘servicing’ are seen as fatally flawed at worst, and strategically vulnerable at best. On the other hand, those patterns in which union‐worker relations are more securely based on servicing complemented with robust forms of organization also contain strategic tensions. These must be managed carefully if unions are to become more effective. While illustrated with New Zealand case studies, this framework provides lines of analysis for the strategic review of unions in neo‐liberal contexts more generally.
An Attitudinal Revolution in Irish Industrial Relations: The End of ‘Them and Us’?
Authors: D’Art Daryl , Turner Thomas
Published: March 2003

Intensified international competition and high unemployment have characterized many Western economies since 1980. A firm’s survival in such an environment demands a flexible and co‐operative work‐force, a requirement incompatible with traditional adversarial industrial relations. Drawing on a survey of employees in nine unionized companies in the Irish manufacturing sector, this paper examines the effect of these changes in the economy and workplace in facilitating a significant reduction in ‘them and us’ attitudes and an associated weakening of union structure and influence in the workplace. We found no evidence of a reduction in ‘them and us’ attitudes, but a cohesive and influential union was associated with less intense ‘them and us’.
The Decline of Collectivism? A Comparative Study of White‐Collar Employees in Britain and Australia
Authors: Deery Stephen , Walsh Janet
Published: March 2003

There is a widely held view that important changes are occurring in the character of employee attitudes. With the growth of individualistic human resource management techniques, it is argued that employees' collectivist work orientations are in decline. Drawing on data from a large‐scale survey of bank employees in Britain and Australia, this paper explores the attitudes of employees to work, trade unions and collective action and identifies the determinants of those attitudes. In both countries, collectivism is found to have a significant effect on the preparedness of individuals to fulfil their union obligations and duties and to take industrial action. There is little evidence to indicate the demise of collectivism.
Human Resource Management and Performance in the UK Hotel Industry
Authors: Hoque Kim
Published: March 2003

This article examines the relationship between human resource management and performance in the UK hotel industry. Using data from over 200 hotels, the results demonstrate, first, that the relationship between HRM and performance is dependent upon the business strategy the hotel is pursuing; second, that hotels pursuing an HRM approach coupled with a quality focus within their business strategy perform best; and, finally, that HRM is more likely to contribute to competitive success where it is introduced as an integrated and coherent package, or bundle of practices.
Negotiating Amalgamations: Territorial and Political Consolidation and Administrative Reform in Public‐Sector Service Unions in the UK
Authors: Undy Roger
Published: March 2003

Since 1990 there has been a series of union amalgamations among Britain’s public‐sector unions. This study examines three amalgamations and one aborted amalgamation. Each was initiated by union leaders reacting to government‐sponsored reforms of the public sector, and all involved unions with either defensive or consolidatory merger motivations. The complex negotiations are presented as resolving issues of political, democratic and administrative concerns. It is argued that the balance of power on critical constitutional issues lay with the leaders of the consolidatory unions, particularly the dominant activist groups within such unions. As a consequence, success in amalgamation negotiations lay in satisfying such group’s interests in sustaining the existing political ethos and democratic system, while securing agreement on the desired administrative reforms.
The Erosion of the German System of Industrial Relations
Authors: Hassel Anke
Published: March 2003

The paper assesses current trajectories of change in the German system of industrial relations by analysing the co‐determination and collective bargaining systems. It argues that two parallel developments undermine the institutional stability of the German model. First, the institutional base of the German industrial relations system, which has served as the pre‐condition of its past success, has been shrinking during the last two decades. This is due to a decline in coverage by the two major industrial relations institutions: the works council system and wage agreements. Today fewer than 15 per cent of German plants are covered by both a valid collective agreement and a works council. Second, increasing decentralization pressures within collective bargaining tend to undermine the division of labour between co‐determination and collective bargaining. The dynamics of an institutional erosion of the German industrial relations institutions and the decentralization of collective bargaining disturbs the fine‐tuning of the mediating process between macroeconomic steering capacity and co‐operative workplace industrial relations. This tendency has been aggravated by the effects of German unification. The current institutional developments of the German industrial relations system leave serious doubts about the future of a successful model of co‐operative modernization.
Industrial Relations Climate, Attendance Behaviour and the Role of Trade Unions
Authors: Deery Stephen , Iverson Roderick , Erwin Peter
Published: March 2003

In recent years there has been a growing interest in the impact of co‐operative union–management relations on firm performance and organizational outcomes such as employee turnover and absenteeism. This paper seeks to identify the factors that affect the development of a co‐operative industrial relations climate and analyses the effects of that climate on organizational and union allegiance and on employee attendance behaviour. The data are drawn from a study of a large automotive manufacturer in Australia. The results indicate that a positive union–management relationship is associated with higher levels of work attendance. Moreover, this outcome is consistent with the presence of strong and effective unionism at the workplace.
End Users: Actors in the Industrial Relations System?
Authors: Bellemare Guy
Published: March 2003

The paradigm elaborated by John T. Dunlop in his landmark 1958 volume, Industrial Relations Systems, described this system as consisting of three actors: unions, employers and the State. Over the past few years, the call to expand upon the notion of actors in the industrial relations environment has become more and more widespread, but no one has yet suggested how this integration might be implemented. The main objective of this paper is to propose an analytical model of the actor and to explore how the latter could be applied in the case of public urban transit users.
Macroeconomic Constraints, Social Learning and Pay Bargaining in Europe
Authors: Teague Paul
Published: March 2003

This paper argues that European integration has constrained the discretion of industrial relations actors. The result has been not the widely predicted institutional fragmentation of collective bargaining, but a change in the functioning of these systems. At the same time, widespread ‘social dumping’ on the part of firms and member states has not materialized. The paper argues that the ‘race to the bottom’ thesis gives insufficient weight to the socialization mechanisms attached to the European integration process. Thus macroeconomic constraints and social learning processes are co‐mingling with one another in European industrial relations.
Co‐ordinated Bargaining: A Process for Our Times?
Authors: Sisson Keith , Marginson Paul
Published: March 2003

This article draws on past as well as present to offer a systematic overview of co‐ordinated bargaining, which many commentators see as a likely vehicle for the ‘Europeanization’ of industrial relations. It argues that co‐ordinated bargaining is indeed likely to play a major role within the EU, reflecting not only trade union pressures but also management’s use of benchmarking to promote organizational change and competitiveness. The pace with which co‐ordinated bargaining develops is likely to vary considerably both within and between sectors, however, leading to multi‐speed ‘Europeanization’ and further decentralization of collective bargaining within national systems.
Why Fewer Workers Join Unions in Europe: A Social Custom Explanation of Membership Trends
Authors: Visser Jelle
Published: March 2003

Can the recent decline in union density in Europe be attributed to specific economic, social or institutional causes? Can unions influence these causes and reverse decline? Using two data sources — a representative survey of Dutch employees and a data set for European countries between 1950 and 1997 — the author examines the determinants of union decline. The theoretical model is based on a social custom approach to unionization, integrating rational choice and social network theory. The empirical results show improbable small margins of union resurgence, that is, if institutional support for union representation can be maintained or regained within and beyond workplaces.
Will Unionism Prosper in Cyberspace? The Promise of the Internet for Employee Organization
Authors: Diamond W. J. , Freeman R. B.
Published: March 2003

The low cost of information, communication, and interaction on the web offers trade unions opportunities to improve services and attract members, and thus reinvent themselves for the twenty–first century. The authors argue that unions can use the web to: develop virtual minority unions at many non–union firms; improve services to members; enhance democracy in unions; aid in industrial disputes; and strengthen the international labour community. They conclude that, if unions fail to exploit the opportunities on the web to gain members, other organizations are likely to provide services to workers on the internet.
Constructing the Green Manager
Authors: Fineman Stephen
Published: March 2003

This article applies a social constructionist approach to senior managers' `green' selves and roles. In a qualitative, empirical study of the UK automotive industry, the social/political contexts of managers' organizational lives are explored as they interact with, and define, the green corporate agenda. Ethical dimensions of environmentalism are stressed – particularly the distinctions and tensions between private moral positions, enacted morality, and the conventional morality as disseminated by the corporation. The study reveals the way different stakeholders are construed, and how `green' territories are contested. The implications for organizational change and strategic formulation are discussed, especially the strengths and limitations of approaching corporate greening from enacted/normative moralities, or from a vision of a substantive transformation of values.
The Social Anthropology of Management
Authors: Linstead Stephen
Published: March 2003

This paper argues that social anthropology as a field science has great potential for informing multi‐disciplinary research in management both conceptually and methodologically. Social anthropology takes as its objectives both accurate description of context and accurate understanding of how those contexts are interpreted and experienced by participants. It adopts a methodology of ethnographic immersion. This enables the capture of elusive, ambiguous and tacit aspects of research settings, and also allows grounded theory to be generated from `thick' or `rich' data. Social anthropology, having taken into account recent developments in postmodern and critical thought, can contribute to the study, practice, and teaching of management in three categories. Focusing on culture, new theoretical lines of enquiry can be developed that reassess the significance of shared meaning and conflicting interests in specific settings; the concept of the symbolic in management can be critically elaborated; and modes of representation of management can be opened up to self‐reflexivity. Focusing on critique, ethnography can be used to defamiliarize taken‐for‐granted circumstances and reveal suppressed and alternative possibilities; new or unheard voices and forms of information can be resuscitated and used to sensitize managerial processes; and cognitive, affective, epistemological, ideological and ethical considerations can be linked in the same framework. Focusing on change, anthropological ideas and concepts can shape and reflect change processes and resolve unproductive dilemmas; and managerial learning can be enhanced by promoting the ethnographic consciousness as a way of investigating and understanding, an attitude of openness. Finally the paper gives an example of the application of the approach in a management development programme, where teaching and research progressed in harness.
Evolving Perceptions of Clinical Management in Acute Hospitals in England
Authors: Ong Bie Nio
Published: March 2003

Clinical management is at the centre of organizational change in the contemporary British hospital sector, and throws up important questions about the relationship between medicine and management. Through the analysis of business planning as a key organizational process the interpretative frameworks which guide the perceptions of the roles of clinical directors and directorate managers can be understood. This paper presents empirical material from a study of an acute hospital trust going through a full business planning cycle, and traces the evolving interpretations of the nature, content and form of clinical management. It also provides insights into the changing face of the medical profession and its place within the health services domain.
The Meanings of Career Revisited: Implications for Theory and Practice
Authors: Adamson Stephen J. , Doherty Noeleen , Viney Claire
Published: March 2003

In everyday conversation, the term ‘career’ is generally understood to refer to the sequence of work‐related experiences one has over the course of one's working lifetime. For many people, a career is distinct from a job, since it also conjures up images of steady, even logical, progression up organizational hierarchies. It is not simply about what one does for a living, but about what one has done, does now and might do in the future; the notion of career therefore embraces the dimension of time. In light of widespread organizational restructuring and economic uncertainty since the late 1980s, many of the taken‐for‐granted assumptions which have underpinned traditional notions of career, and in particular the organizational career, no longer seem valid. Both individuals and organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to conceptualize the idea of a logical, long‐term sequence of work‐related experiences; there is thus no longer a clear and mutual understanding of what the career means to both. This paper argues that individuals and organizations can meaningfully redefine the notion of career by reconsidering its broader, theoretical underpinnings.
Lessons from the Celltech Case: Balancing Knowledge Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Renewal
Authors: McNamara Peter , Baden‐Fuller Charles
Published: March 2003

This article applies the lens of the knowledge exploration/exploitation dilemma to the renewal of Celltech Plc. From a theoretical perspective it has often been argued that as a firm matures, exploitation of current organizational knowledge drives out exploration of new ideas, and that this increases the likelihood of firm failure. This same literature gives few clues as to how balance can be maintained, or decline reversed. Our case study documents the decline of Celltech, its rejuvenation from near bankruptcy in 1990, and its subsequent ability to prosper to become the eighth largest biotech firm in the EU in terms of market capitalization. Through the Celltech case we show empirically that renewal based on exploration is possible even in a firm where exploitation has come to dominate. This case also illustrates how a balance between exploration and exploitation can be maintained for over half a decade, despite the theoretical tendency stated in the literature for exploitation to dominate. We offer insights into the process of maintaining a balance, including reorganization to release internal diversity to stimulate exploration, creation of a common language, and building systems to institutionalize the maintenance of a balance between exploration and exploitation.
Approaches to Equity Management and their Relationship to Women in Management
Authors: French Erica
Published: March 2003

Developing equitable practices that provide fair access for all individuals to the benefits and burdens within an organization remains a dilemma for management both in policy and in practice. Research continues to show that the employment status and representation for members of some groups is significantly less than in relation to those of other groups. Addressing the issue of disparity has resulted in a number of different approaches. The main aim of this paper is to explore the ability of a typological theory of equal employment opportunity implementation to account for the differences in the numbers of women in management and in management tiers. This paper identifies and analyses four ideal‐typical equity management approaches to achieving workplace parity: traditional (non‐compliance), anti‐discrimination, affirmative action and equal employment opportunity. While the objective of these approaches may be to ensure equity management in order to encourage equal outcomes the results tell a different story. Results show that an affirmative action approach to equity management predicts increases in women in management across all tiers of management.
Beyond Managism: Negotiated Narratives and Critical Management Education in Practice
Authors: Watson Tony J.
Published: March 2003

A pragmatist conception of critical management education and learning is first set out. This accepts a degree of ‘functionality’ between management study and management practice. It is, however, a non‐managerialist and non‐technicist functionality. The criterion for judging critical management learning cannot be how well it reveals truths in any absolute or foundationalist sense. The only possible criterion is how well, relative to alternative types of learning, it informs the practices of people involved in managerial situations (regardless of whether these are managers or not). Next, one way of applying pragmatist critical management principles is outlined. This works through negotiated narratives and stands as an alternative to orthodox management education approaches – ones to which the critical concept of scholarism is applied. The outline is then developed through an ethnographic style account of an instance of such a practice. Central to this piece of teaching and learning practice is the critical concept of managism. Managist discourse and its role in framing managerial thinking and practices is examined and debated by the management class in the process of attempting collectively to make sense of stories brought to the class by both the students and the teacher. The basic ‘story’ that the paper tells is rehearsed at the end in the form of a fairy tale. This is done as an alternative to concluding or ‘closing’ the paper. The story of critical management education and learning and what is done in its name continues to unfold.
The Unintended Consequences of Culture Interventions: A Study of Unexpected Outcomes
Authors: Harris L. C. , Ogbonna E.
Published: March 2003

The topic of managing culture has been central to organizational culture research for the last two decades. Although critical theorists argue that culture management efforts are prone to unintended consequences, few empirical studies have explicitly explored this issue. The study reported in this article is designed to redress this imbalance in the literature through focusing on the exploration and description of the unintended consequences of culture management interventions. The aims of the study are to locate and describe how management actions during culture change initiatives result in unintended consequences and then subsequently to explore and describe these effects. The article begins with an overview of contemporary research into the nature of culture, the rationale, approaches and perspectives on culture management as well as research into unintended consequences. After a discussion of the research design and methods employed, the results of the study are presented. These findings review and elucidate eight forms of management action during culture change programmes that resulted in unintended consequences, which had serious consequences for the organizations concerned. The article concludes with the discussion of implications and conclusions for theorists and practitioners.
On the ‘Organizational Identity’ Metaphor
Authors: Cornelissen J. P.
Published: March 2003

This article reviews and evaluates the heuristic status of ‘organizational identity’ as a metaphor for the generation of knowledge about the subject that it supposedly illuminates. This is done by drawing out the general uses and utility of metaphors within organizational theory and research, on the basis of which the article assesses the ‘organizational identity’ metaphor with the objective of providing insight into whether this particular metaphor is warranted and has any heuristic value for our understanding of organizational life.
The Merit and Mischief of Metaphor: A Reply to Gioia, Schultz and Corley
Authors: Cornelissen J. P.
Published: March 2003

Gioia, Schultz and Corley have vigorously, yet falsely, attacked the method of metaphor use that I outlined on paradigmatic, ideological and political grounds. Responding to their chief accusations, this reply to their article reiterates the merit of the suggested method for using metaphors and reflects upon its application to the ‘organizational identity’ metaphor.
Human Resource Management under Institutional Constraints: The Case of Germany
Authors: Muller Michael
Published: March 2003

Most human resource management (HRM) research has been conducted in countries that have relatively weak labour market institutions such as the UK and the USA. There is little research about the scope for and constraints on the adoption of HRM practices in countries with strong statutory regulations. The research presented here is based on 16 case studies of banks and chemical firms operating in Germany, that comply with the requirements of the German labour market institutions of collective bargaining, co‐determination and initial vocational training, and hence operate under strong institutional constraints. The evidence presented shows that institutional features of the German system encourage the implementation of some ingredients of the HRM ‘recipe’ and inhibit others. It also indicates that constraining influences notwithstanding, a pluralist version of HRM appears to be quite compatible with the highly regulated German context.
Critical Turns in the Evolution of Diversity Management
Authors: Lorbiecki Anna , Jack Gavin
Published: March 2003

This paper seeks to extend and invigorate existing critiques of the aims and claims of diversity management. Four overlapping turns – demographic, political, economic and critical – akin to the broader and critical ‘turns’ in the humanities and social sciences are identified. When existing critiques are reconsidered through the framework offered by these four turns, then diversity management can be seen to: perpetuate rather than combat inequalities in the workplace; diminish the legacy of discrimination against historically repressed minorities in the workplace; continue to prescribe essentialist categories of difference and present problematic dualisms for effecting organizational change.
Work–Family Conflict and the Senior Female International Manager
Authors: Linehan Margaret , Walsh James S.
Published: March 2003

The particular focus of this paper is on the workÃfamily conflict experienced by senior female international managers within a European context. This research is particularly relevant as existing European studies have not specifically addressed issues pertaining to the senior female international manager. For the purpose of this study 50 senior female expatriate managers were interviewed, representing a wide diversity of industry and service sectors. The study establishes that work–family conflict still prevents many female managers from progressing to senior management. The results of the study show that the senior international career move has largely been developed along a linear male model of career progression, a development which, together with gender disparity both in organizations and family responsibilities, frequently prevents women employees from reaching senior managerial positions. The study extends work primarily in the international human resource management literature, while also contributing to the research literatures on women in management and career theory.