bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
When is it OK to learn at work? The learning work of organisational practices
Authors: Scheeres Hermine , Solomon Nicky , Boud David , Rooney Donna 
Published: February 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the use of “learning” through what we have termed “integrated development practices”. These are common organisational practices that both enhance organisational effectiveness and contribute to organisational and employee learning.Design/methodology/approachThe paper analyses the ways in which learning and being a learner were talked about and enacted with regard to one of the integrated development practices identified in a study of four different organisations – safety practices, and how learning and being a learner regarding safety were legitimate in one of the organisations. Data are drawn from semi‐structured interviews with members of a variety of workgroups in one major division of the organisation.FindingsInterviewees' responses reflected that learning was fully embedded as an accepted part of a necessary function of the organisation. This use of a learning discourse is discussed in the light of findings from an earlier study on informal learning at work that suggested that learning and the identity of being a learner were sometimes resisted in the everyday culture of work.Originality/valueUsing the theorisations of practice of Schatzki and the lifelong education framework of Delors the paper discusses the implications of these findings to examine when it is acceptable to articulate learning as part of work and be identified as a learner at work.
Practice‐based innovation: a learning perspective
Authors: Ellström Per‐Erik 
Published: February 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the idea of practice‐based innovation and to propose a framework that can be used to conceptualize and analyze practice‐based innovation processes in organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe argument is driven by conceptual analysis and theoretical synthesis based on theory and research on innovation, organizational change, individual and organizational learning.FindingsThe proposed framework portrays practice‐based innovation as a cyclical process of adaptive and developmental learning driven by contradictions and tensions between explicit and implicit dimensions of work processes.Originality/valueThe paper adds to previous research through its focus on practice‐based innovation and the conceptualization of this notion in terms of learning in and through everyday work. It thus creates connections between innovation research and research on workplace learning.
Learning and recognition in health and care work: an inter‐subjective perspective
Authors: Liveng Anne 
Published: February 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of recognition in learning processes among female nurses, social and health care assistants and occupational therapists working with people with dementia and other age‐related illnesses.Design/methodology/approachThe paper highlights the need to experience recognizing learning spaces among social and health care workers dealing with elderly care. Such learning spaces are crucial/imperative in order to come to terms with emotionally stressing experiences from daily work, and in order to be prepared for future challenges, such as new tasks or patients with a complex diagnosis. Drawing on Nordic research into health and care work, it is argued that, particularly in work fields which are mentally loaded or which are not held in high esteem culturally, this condition seems to be important.FindingsThe main argument is that learning is related to recognition – especially when it comes to groups of professionals, who are low ranked in the workplace hierarchy and therefore seldom experience recognition in their daily work. According to interviews with members of the mentioned professional groups, learning spaces, in which the medical and professional hierarchies are suspended, promote learning processes.Originality/valueAxel Honneth's critical theory of recognition is used as the theoretical framework for understanding more generally the relational nature of human learning processes and the need for recognizing contexts. The paper concludes that this need is particularly imperative in health and care work for the elderly, but may also promote learning more generally.
Exploring internal segregation in the South African medical profession
Authors: Wildschut Angelique 
Published: February 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the motivations underlying the specialisation choices of six female specialist doctors working in Cape Town, South Africa and to investigate whether the specific gender work identity associated with that specialism resulted in their motivation to enter it.Design/methodology/approachThe research methodology comprised conducting semi‐structured interviews, where female medical doctors were asked to provide an account of their general experiences as medical doctors in a male‐dominated profession, as well as a more specific question related to their choice of specialisation.FindingsThese female medical specialists entered these so‐called soft specialisms mainly for three reasons: so‐called female‐friendly characteristics; exposure to, not necessarily fuelled by interest in, certain specialisms; and so‐called male characteristics.Originality/valueThe importance of such research is threefold as it has practical, social, and economic implications. The practical implications are evident in that a better understanding of the perceived gendered work identities has the potential to impact better retention and recruitment. The social implication is also important, as unchallenged gendered trends serve to perpetuate gender unequal outcomes in the wider society, which can be constraining or discriminatory. Lastly, an aspect which is not always considered is the fact that gender inequality is economically inefficient. The scientific value is found in the space it provides for reconsidering the relevance of the use of the terms “soft and hard” specialisms to explain the drivers of internal segregation in the medical profession.
University teachers' intentions for introductory professional classes
Authors: Reid Anna , Petocz Peter , Gordon Sue 
Published: February 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate ways in which university students are introduced to disciplines and thence to the professions based on those disciplines.Design/methodology/approachE‐mail interviews with a broad sample of university teachers in a variety of professional disciplines formed the basis of a grounded theory approach to identification of analytically distinct themes.FindingsFour different approaches were identified from the interview data, labelled as academic, apprenticeship, affective, and experiential. While these themes represent distinct approaches to introductory classes in professional fields, and have been described independently in the paper, in practice most teachers would use combinations of them.Research limitations/implicationsThe research represents a first stage in investigating approaches to introducing students to a discipline and profession. No claim is made to randomness, completeness or representativeness of the sample, which indeed was heavily based on colleagues in the broad area of pedagogy and teacher preparation.Practical implicationsTeachers of introductory classes in professional disciplines can recognise their own approaches in the themes identified, and can consider a broader range of approaches based on the complete results. Workplace supervisors can consider diverse approaches utilised in academic settings.Social implicationsFindings can contribute towards an awareness of the effect of introductory approaches to disciplines and professions in university classes, with potential implications for the way that university‐trained professionals are accepted into the workplace.Originality/valueThe research, unusually, shifts the focus from the end stage of professional education at university to the initial level. The investigation may form the basis of further research.
Formal adult learning and working in Europe: a new typology of participation patterns
Authors: Hefler Günter , Markowitsch Jörg 
Published: February 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show how a typology of participating patterns is developed to deepen understanding of participation in formal adult education and the relationship between current workplace and educational programmes.Design/methodology/approachThe approach takes the form of conceptual work based on a qualitative analysis of 89 cases studies covering 113 participating employees in small and medium‐sized enterprises in 12 European countries.FindingsFive main types of participation patterns in formal adult education are identified. When employed participants focus on their education, they may complete their formal programme (“Completing”), overrule an earlier decision to leave the educational system (“Returning”) or look for a starting‐point to change their professional career (“Transforming”). When focusing on employment, employees may use formal adult education for “Reinforcing” their earlier career decisions. Here, four subtypes are proposed. Finally, employees may enjoy their studies for features not available at work (“Compensation”).Research limitations/implicationsThe typology was based on qualitative data; the sample does not claim to be representative. However, it could become the basis for a quantitative survey design.Practical implicationsThe typology is likely to be of value in a wide array of fields such as whether the employer organisation should offer support, or whether there should be an economic return to education.Originality/valueThe typology builds on a life‐cycle model and combines it with the relationship between the educational programme and the workplace. It is not restricted to certain groups of learners or formal programmes.
Re‐thinking the “thing”
Authors: Fenwick Tara 
Published: February 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare theoretical conceptions that reclaim and re‐think material practice – “the thing” in the social and personal mix – specifically in terms of work activity and what is construed to be learning in that activity.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is theory‐based. Three perspectives have been selected for discussion: cultural‐historical activity theory (CHAT), actor‐network theory (ANT), and complexity theory. A comparative approach is used to examine these three conceptual framings in the context of their uptake in learning research to explore their diverse contributions and limitations on questions of agency, power, difference, and the presence of the “thing”.FindingsThe three perspectives bear some similarities in their conceptualization of knowledge and capabilities as emerging – simultaneously with identities, policies, practices and environment – in webs of interconnections between heterogeneous things, human and nonhuman. Yet each illuminates very different facets of the sociomaterial in work‐learning that can afford important understandings: about how subjectivities are produced in work, how knowledge circulates and sediments into formations of power, and how practices are configured and re‐configured. Each also signals, in different ways, what generative possibilities may exist for counter‐configurations and alternative identities in spaces and places of work.Originality/valueWhile some dialogue has occurred among ANT and CHAT, this has not been developed to compare more broadly the metaphysics and approaches of these perspectives, along with complexity theory which is receiving growing attention in organizational research contexts. The paper purports to introduce the nature of these debates to work‐learning researchers and point to their implications for opening useful questions and methods for inquiry in workplace learning.
Spatial concentration in industrial real estate
Authors: Byrne Peter , Lee Stephen 
Published: February 2010

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine the extent of real estate investment concentration in institutional industrial portfolios at these same two points in time.Design/methodology/approachTo examine this issue two datasets are used at two dates, 1998 and 2003. The analysis is confined to England and Wales because of data considerations relating to the availability of comparable data for the rest of the UK. The first dataset relates to floor space and rateable value statistics for the so‐called “bulk classes” of commercial property at Unitary Authority and District (local authority area, LA) level. The more specific institutional real estate investment data for the study come from the IPD analysis “UK Local Markets”. This provides a detailed view of the performance of institutional real estate investment, by sector, in a number of localities across the UK. For the purposes of this study, IPD made data available showing (but with much less detail) other LAs where the number of properties held was greater than zero, but fewer than the four required normally for disclosure. The approach taken is to map the basic data and the results from a standardising measure of spatial concentration – the Location Quotient.FindingsThe findings show that industrial investment concentration is between that of retail and offices and is focused on LAs with high levels of manual workers in areas with smaller industrial units. It also shows that during the period studied the structure of the sector changed, with greater emphasis on the distributional (logistic) element, for which location is a principal consideration. Historically, the sector has provided consistently good total returns with low risk, and was the only sector to expand in terms of numbers of institutionally invested units over the study period. While industrial real estate assets generally do not attract as much capital growth as other sectors, especially in boom periods, rents continued to grow in the period under study. Taken together with the relative resilience in the sector's performance seen over successive cycles, it is not surprising that significant institutional enthusiasm was evidenced.Originality/valueUsing data sets that account for the entire “population” of observations at these two dates the paper demonstrates the relationships between economic theory and the market performance of the sector. The comparisons with the other main sectors also show the differences that would be expected between the sectors, emphasising the point that these markets are dynamic and that their structure, form and content can change dramatically even over quite short periods.
Returns of REITS and stock markets
Authors: Rong Ning , Trück Stefan 
Published: February 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the dependence structure between returns from real estate investment trusts (REITS) and a stock market index. Further, the aim is to illustrate how copula approaches can be applied to model the complex dependence structure between the assets and for risk measurement of a portfolio containing investments in REIT and equity indices.Design/methodology/approachThe usually suggested multivariate normal or variance‐ covariance approach is applied, as well as various copula models in order to investigate the dependence structure between returns of Australian REITS and the Australian stock market. Different models including the Gaussian, Studentt, Clayton and Gumbel copula are estimated and goodness‐of‐fit tests are conducted. For the return series, both the Gaussian and a non‐parametric estimate of the distribution is applied. A risk analysis is provided based on Monte Carlo simulations for the different models. The value‐at‐risk measure is also applied for quantification of the risks for a portfolio combining investments in real estate and stock markets.FindingsThe findings suggest that the multivariate normal model is not appropriate to measure the complex dependence structure between the returns of the two asset classes. Instead, a model using non‐parametric estimates for the return series in combination with a Studenttcopula is clearly more suitable. It further illustrates that the usually applied variance‐covariance approach leads to a significant underestimation of the actual risk for a portfolio consisting of investments in REITS and equity indices. The nature of risk is better captured by the suggested copula models.Originality/valueTo the authors', knowledge, this is one of the first studies to apply and test different copula models in real estate markets. Results help international investors and portfolio managers to deepen their understanding of the dependence structure between returns from real estate and equity markets. Additionally, the results should be helpful for implementation of a more adequate risk management for portfolios containing investments in both REITS and equity indices.
The importance of investment feasibility analysis
Authors: Oprea Alina 
Published: February 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to look at the importance of investment feasibility analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe paper addresses the question of whether a planned course of action is likely to achieve individual or enterprise objectives, given the available resources and specific constraints. Key issues are the legal, physical, and financial feasibility of a project proposal. Feasibility typically addresses the issue of the most appropriate use for a particular site, the most appropriate site for a predetermined use, or the most appropriate outlet for investment funds.FindingsEven though changes in the economy have increased risk or lowered returns, the investment market continues to devise innovative and attractive investment strategies and the determined investor keeps searching for profitable projects.Originality/valueThe paper gives investment principles that should be taken into consideration and will be of interest to those in a similar field.
Are we really competent?
Authors: Caldeira Mário , Dhillon Gurpreet 
Published: February 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present organizational competencies for gaining information technology (IT) benefits within organizations. Following the analysis of 16 in‐depth case studies, a set of six high level, fundamental competencies and 17 facilitating competencies are identified. A framework for orchestrating the organizational competencies is also presented. The results of this research would be useful to academics in developing measures for assessing the level of organizational competence and for practitioners in identifying and nurturing competencies for organizational benefits realization.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology involved two phases. Phase 1 entailed conducting 16 extensive case studies. Case study methodology employed follows guidelines provided by Yin and Benbasat et al. Case studies are a suitable means to collect the data since the notion of competencies in delivering IT benefits has not been well understood in the literature. By analyzing and understanding the particular situation and factors in each organization in an in‐depth manner, the paper develops a sound interpretation of the abilities that organizations need to have in place to deliver IT benefits.FindingsIn order to gain business benefits from IT investments, organizations must develop competencies to exploit IT. These competencies involve individual skills and organizational processes that enable those skills to be effectively applied. This paper identifies 23 competencies categorized into fundamental and facilitating competencies that firms need to have in place if IT services are to be delivered adequately and business benefits achieved. Also developed is a network of competences based on the data collected in the 16 cases studied.Research limitations/implicationsLike any research, this paper has its limitations. Given the qualitative and interpretive nature of the research, a lot of assertions are interpretations of the authors. While in the literature, this has been argued as a valid way to undertake research, clearly there are biases that creep into the research.Practical implicationsThe model of competencies presented forms a good basis for enterprises to fine‐tune their abilities for harnessing IT.Originality/valueWhile management researchers have been researching the notion of organizational competence for a while, it has not been well considered in the information systems arena; it is felt that this research makes a positive contribution to that effect.
Knowledge management structure and human capital development in Indian manufacturing industries
Authors: Birasnav M , Rangnekar S 
Published: February 2010

PurposeOrganizations are constantly striving to develop and enhance knowledge of employees who involve in strategic business processes by which they aim for an organizational knowledge creation to achieve a competitive advantage. Accordingly, they encourage employees to involve in basic knowledge management (KM) processes and establish infrastructure, particularly, supportive culture and communication facilities for knowledge acquisition and sharing in order to broaden both human capital and organizational knowledge base. In this direction, the purpose of this paper is to develop a hierarchical structure of KM that aims to develop or create human capital in an organization and empirically analyzes the model fit with the data.Design/methodology/approachData are collected from 401 employees of Indian manufacturing firms. Factor analyses for identifying and validating the structure of KM and regression analysis for examining the associations of KM dimensions with certain demographic characteristics of employee and organization are performed.FindingsOrganizations show KM concepts' demonstration on developing human capital through tactical KM process and problem‐solving approach, communication‐oriented culture, and innovation‐supportive culture. The results confirm the theoretical hierarchical structure of KM with data. In addition, these dimensions are moderately associated with certain characteristics of employees and organizations.Research limitations/implicationsFirms, which are small and medium in size and particularly private‐owned, create human capital through a hierarchical KM structure.Originality/valueThis paper analyzes the instruments of KM in view of creating human capital.
Methodological choices in enterprise systems research
Authors: Sedmak Melissa , Longhurst Phil 
Published: February 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the choices to researchers when approaching the topic of enterprise systems from a social science perspective.Design/methodology/approachA selected bibliography is presented, on the themes relevant to methodological choices in studying enterprise systems in an organisational context. The themes encompass epistemology, causality, research approach and type of data, research design, researcher role in data collection, research strategy, method, techniques and researcher role in relation to the setting.FindingsThe paper presents theoretical approaches and illustrates the application of theory on the specific case of enterprise system implementation in an organisational context.Research limitations/implicationsA breadth of themes is considered here, however the review of the literature is not exhaustive, but selective.Practical implicationsThe paper argues for making research method explicit and transparent and for greater awareness of the researchers studying enterprise systems of the methodological choices available when engaging with the subject of study.Originality/valueThe paper brings together available and well‐developed research methods, mainly used in information systems (IS) research and organisation studies, and which have been used in enterprise systems somewhat sparsely and without particular transparency, closer to research practice.