bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
TFP growth, technological progress and efficiencies change
Authors: Hamit‐Haggar Mahamat 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to apply a stochastic Frontier production model to Canadian manufacturing industries, to investigate the sources of total factor productivity (TFP) growth. As productivity (growth) appears to be the single most important determinant of a nation's living standard or its level of real income over long periods of time, it is important to better understand the sources of productivity growth. In Canada, TFP growth is the major contributing factor (relative to changes in capital intensity) to labour productivity growth, particularly in manufacturing sector. However, the TFP gap is also the main source of labour productivity gap between Canada and other industrialized (Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development) countries in recent years.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, a stochastic Frontier production model is applied to Canadian manufacturing industries to investigate the sources of TFP growth. Using a comprehensive panel data set of 18 industries over the period 1990‐2005 and the approach proposed by Kumbhakar et al. and Kumbhakar and Lovell, TFP growth is decomposed into technological progress (TP), changes in technical efficiency, changes in allocative efficiency and scale effects.FindingsThe decomposition reveals that during the period under study, TP has been the main driving force of productivity growth, while negative efficiency changes observed in certain industries have contributed to reduce average productivity growth. In addition, the empirical results show that research and development expenditure, information and communications technology investment, as well as trade openness exert a positive impact on productivity growth through the channel of efficiency gains.Originality/valueThe author argues that the decomposition carried out in this study may be very helpful to elicit the correct diagnosis of Canada's productivity problem and develop effective policies to reverse the situation, thereby reducing Canada's lagging productivity gap.
Student uses of technology in learning: two lenses
Authors: McNeill Margot , Ming Diao Ming , Gosper Maree 
Published: May 2011

PurposeIn their 2007 article, “Miranda in the brave new world: learning in a Web 2.0 millennium”, Barnes and Tynan tell the story of an imaginary British student who uses technology seamlessly to stay connected almost 24×7 with friends, peers and teachers in a global learning environment. Whether she is representative of the majority of university students is a topic of debate in the literature. This paper aims to explore how students use technologies in their everyday lives, whether on‐ or off‐campus, to support their learning.Design/methodology/approachThere were two phases of the study; a photo ethnography to enable a detailed exploration of ten students' technology uses and then a university‐wide survey in which 1,104 student responses were gathered.FindingsThe findings of both phases of the study suggest that students' use of technologies for their learning and in other facets of their lives is largely conservative, with a predominance of familiar and easy‐to‐use tools such as e‐mail, text and mobile phone. For their learning, their preference is for tools to provide access, efficiency and connectedness.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the development of a better understanding of student issues in the context of their overall IT experience at the university, suggesting a more holistic approach to designing technology infrastructure. There are also insights into the power of mixed methodologies in research, with significant parallels between the qualitative and quantitative results.
No pain, no gain? Teachers implementing ICT in instruction
Authors: Sipilä Keijo 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the differences between 99 Finnish primary and secondary teachers in their frequency and nature of information and communication technology (ICT) use, levels of ICT implementation, functional uses and perceived values about educational use of ICT.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected with an online questionnaire and analyzed with expectancy‐value theory as a theoretical background.FindingsTeachers use ICT mostly for administrative tasks. Teachers' methods of utilizing student‐centred approaches in their teaching, proficiency levels in relation to ICT, and their self‐reported stage of ICT integration into teaching strongly depend on how much ICT teachers use in their teaching activities. Primary teachers value utilizing ICT in teaching more positively than secondary teachers even though secondary teachers reported being more active in the use of ICT in various functional uses. Pedagogical thinking in educational institutes has not advanced in parallel with technological advances; teachers in basic education are still using ICT mainly for informational, organizational, evaluative, and lesson‐planning activities instead of communicative, activating, creative, and expressive purposes.Originality/valueThis study was able to produce further evidence to support the claim that providing teachers with computer technology will lead them to integrate computers into teaching activities, which in turn will give them more support in their perceived proficiency at computer use and help them to advance in the stage of computer integration.
Numbers, words and KYC: Knowing Your Country and Knowing Your Corruption
Authors: Doig Alan 
Published: May 2011

PurposeInternational business is under increasing legal pressure to ensure compliance with legal and other standards on corruption, and thus needs to undertake due diligence on corruption. This paper aims to emphasise that existing sources of information on corruption in specific countries are often limited for interpretative purposes.Design/methodology/approachUsing a number of country studies that look at the causes and legal and institutional responses, as well as other data sources from international agencies, the paper suggests that no one indicator can substantively alert business to the levels and types of corruption in a specific country.FindingsAs a preliminary conclusion, the paper proposes that business must undertake more substantive work to understand corruption in a particular country. It also indicates that qualitative sources may be more productive than quantitative sources in providing information that is of use to business in undertaking such work.Originality/valueThe paper highlights the need to stress the need to study corruption in a country context.
Portfolio use for documentation of personal and professional growth gained outside academia
Authors: Burkšaitienė Nijolė , Teresevičienė Margarita , Kaminskienė Ligija 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to the issue of bridging the gap between the labour market and university through recognition of non‐academic learning.Design/methodology/approachThe purpose is achieved by proposing portfolio use for documenting adults' personal and professional growth as part of their learning outcomes gained through non‐academic learning, including informal learning, work‐based learning and non‐formal learning that occurred outside one's workplace. To gain insights into the use of the portfolio for documenting adults' personal and professional development through different learning environments qualitative/content analysis was used, with the focus on the descriptions of adults' learning outcomes according to Carter's taxonomy. The study involved 11 portfolios drafted by candidates having claims for academic credits in a management study programme at Mykolas Romeris University in Vilnius, Lithuania. A learning format combining a portfolio development seminar followed by online consultations was created by the university; it was aimed at supporting candidates seeking academic recognition of their learning outcomes gained outside academia in exploring their non‐academic learning experience.FindingsA structured portfolio and, more specifically, the portfolio based on Carter's taxonomy used as a tool for empowering the candidates has highlighted three important aspects of their learning claim, i.e. personal qualities, skills and knowledge as acquired in the non‐academic environment and built the basis for proof of personal and professional development in line with the requirements of existing university modules.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is not intended to compare the taxonomy of personal qualities, skills and knowledge against any specific curriculum requirements; rather, it should be subject to further discussion. The research is based on one of the very first attempts to introduce a validation procedure of non‐academic learning and thus bears limitations of a pilot project.Practical implicationsA clearly structured portfolio of learning outcomes enables adults to highlight important aspects of their learning claim and match their proof of learning in line with the university requirements for academic credit.Originality/valueWhile portfolio has been frequently identified as an effective tool for learning, assessment and professional development in higher education, little known research has focused on the use of portfolio as a tool for documenting adults' learning outcomes gained outside academia.
Subjective personal introspection in action‐oriented research
Authors: Rod Michel 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the rationale and use of subjective personal introspection (SPI) as a methodological approach.Design/methodology/approachSPI was utilised to develop a “narrative” of the author's own “action‐oriented” research experience within a multisector collaborative venture established by 13 partner organisations representing the academic, pharmaceutical industry and government sectors. The “confessional” stance that the study assumes describes some of the perceived tensions enacted during field work. The SPI approach is theoretical and reflective, as well as descriptive and analytical, in reporting the antecedents, actions, and outcomes in action‐oriented research.FindingsBecause the focus of the paper is subjective, personal, and introspective, it does not illustrate “findings” about multisector collaboration, but rather reflections and insights about the way the research was conducted.Practical implicationsThe paper widens the forum for incorporating SPI beyond the consumer behaviour context to the context in which action‐oriented researchers incorporate introspection in their study of organisations.Originality/valueThe paper goes some way to bridging the gap between SPI and reflexivity (if there is indeed a gap) and it causes qualitative, action‐oriented organisational researchers to contemplate a number of questions: what is the role of the researcher; what is the source of their authority to narrate and what are they authorised to recount; and what are the consequences of this?
Promoting cooperation in health care: creating endogenous institutions
Authors: Liff Roy 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate if a rational perspective can be used to interpret cooperation problems in a health care organisation. This perspective is proposed as a complementary perspective to the cultural perspective that dominates as an explanation of cooperation problems. The focus of the research is multiprofessional teamwork in contemporary Swedish health care.Design/methodology/approachFour cases studies, in which the cooperation in daily work is described, are used to test the two perspectives. The cases concern the cooperative methods health care professionals use when work conditions depend upon an internal norm of mutual cooperation. Although the research is not designed to evaluate the two perspectives, it permits the rational explanations of cooperation problems to be compared with possibly cultural explanations.FindingsThe investigation concludes that health care cooperation problems may be primarily explained by the rational perspective, and only secondarily by the cultural perspective. The actors can be seen as underinstitutionalised in the sense they have not yet developed the intra‐organisational norms of cooperation needed for the provision of customised health care.Originality/valueThe paper provides a complementary explanatory framework of cooperation problems based on actors' perceptions of their self‐interests as producers. The examples of uncooperative behaviour reflect two forms of the free rider problem that Ostrom describes as a Common Pool Resource Problem. Management has to prove that cooperation is beneficial to the team members and has to promote a cooperative team spirit by instilling a common understanding of the concept of cooperation.
The gendering of organizational research methods
Authors: Ashmos Plowman Donde , Smith Anne D. 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the role that gender plays in choice of research methods.Design/methodology/approachThe publication patterns of men and women in four prominent management journals over two decades were analyzed in three North American journals – Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, and Organization Science – and one European journal – Journal of Management Studies. The authors coded the research methodology– qualitative or non‐qualitative – and author gender for each article from 1986 through 2008, other than Organization Science which began in 1990. The authors also coded the stage of career for the journals whose author bios provided this level of detail and conducted chi‐square tests of the gender authorship between qualitative and non‐qualitative journals.FindingsIt was observed that women are over‐represented and men are under‐represented in published qualitative studies as compared to non‐qualitative authors. This trend remained steady across the study period. As well for each journal, this relationship was significant. Quantitative findings about trends in authorship of qualitative research were connected to three theoretical perspectives that help explain these findings – information processing theory, separate vs connected ways of knowing, and social identity theory.Originality/valueManagement scholars work in a profession that rarely speaks of itself in terms of gender. One may control for gender or explore gender implications in studies of organizational behavior, but gender is not spoken of as a factor that influences the tools used to study organizations. In this study, the authors use quantitative methods to address trends in gender and type of methodology in published papers across two decades and four academic journals.
“My heart want to say something”: exploring ELL vocabulary use through e‐mail
Authors: Hwang Sung‐on , Piazza Carolyn L. , Pierce Michael J. , Bryce Sara M. 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on one high school English‐language‐learner's (ELL) breadth and depth of vocabulary as he communicated with his teacher through e‐mail across geographic boundaries for over 18 months.Design/methodology/approachThe authors began by separating 358 e‐mails into three time periods (first beginning, second middle, and third end) to calculate breadth using lexical density (type‐token ratios). Then, we sampled e‐mails based on personal and impersonal topics within these time periods and linguistically analyzed them for lexical cohesion, semantic usage, and derivational morphology. Interviews with participants before and after the analysis served as member checks.FindingsThe quantitative results showed a steady improvement in the breadth of the student's vocabulary over time. Qualitative analyses revealed four major uses of vocabulary within the context of e‐mail and the teacher‐student relationship.Practical implicationsGiven our findings, we offer educators insights into ELL strategies and vocabulary assessment, not only with e‐mail but in all written communication.Social implicationsA social writing tool like e‐mail can be useful for learning English in a safe, non‐threatening environment. Moreover, a trusting social relationship between communicators that develops over time can expedite the language learning process.Originality/valueVery few studies have looked at the strategic ways ELL students use vocabulary to learn English through e‐mailing.
Audio and video reflections to promote social justice
Authors: Boske Christa 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how 15 graduate students enrolled in a US school leadership preparation program understand issues of social justice and equity through a reflective process utilizing audio and/or video software.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on the tradition of grounded theory. The researcher collected 225 weekly audio/video reflections in addition to field notes and participants' written narratives.FindingsFindings from the data analysis indicate participants perceive the use of audio and video as a valuable tool to increase their awareness and responses to addressing oppressive school practices as leaders for social justice.Originality/valueThose who prepare school leaders might consider the use of audio/video reflections as an effective tool to examine the evolution of school leadership identities in an effort to interrupt oppressive school practices.
Market or geopolitics? The Europeanization of EU's energy corridors
Authors: Escribano Francés Gonzalo 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to explore an energy strategy for the European Union (EU) that could integrate the tensions between geopolitics and the market in a coherent and consistent external EU energy policy.Design/methodology/approachThe approach consists of combining the theoretical framework of international political economy and Europeanization to European energy corridors.FindingsThe article finds that most qualitative energy security scenarios can be conceived as applications of international political economy paradigms. Its main result is to conceptually develop a geo‐economic strategy consisting on the Europeanization of EU's external energy corridors along its own energy regulations and standards.Research limitations/implicationsThe article explores a distinct hybrid scenario, the Europeanization of energy corridors, which could be instrumental in overcoming the apparent dilemma between EU's market and geopolitical‐based scenarios.Originality/valueThe original contribution of the article lies in the application of international political economy and Europeanization theories to energy security scenarios, and the inclusion of governments' preferences in the process of hedging market and geopolitical scenarios.
McGregor's legacy: the evolution and current application of Theory Y management
Authors: Sorensen Peter F. , Minahan Matt 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThis paper is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of Douglas McGregor's The Human Side of Enterprise. The paper identifies major management approaches cited by McGregor as being examples of his Theory Y management principles. The paper traces the historical development of each of these approaches and their application today. The paper also addresses two major contemporary issues, namely, the relation of Theory Y management to today's positive change theories based on social construction, and the question of the universal/global applicability of Theory Y.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reviews McGregor's original article, then traces the historical development and application of McGregor's major concepts through the identification and review of relevant historical and contemporary literature.FindingsMajor findings provide strong evidence that McGregor's Theory Y concepts and related management approaches have grown in application, are closely related to appreciative inquiry and social construction. There is also evidence that McGregor's concept of management may be universal and has application across national cultural boundaries.Practical implicationsThe findings indicate that McGregor's concepts have widespread acceptance and application today, and have been systematically and empirically related to organizational success and effectiveness. More important, however, are the enormous implications related to the growing body of empirical evidence that these concepts have universal application considering the continued movement toward globalization.Originality/valueAlthough well known, McGregor's Theory Y management has received little systematic efforts at identifying its historical growth and contemporary applications, particularly in terms of contemporary issues relating it to appreciative inquiry, social construction and universal applicability.
Organizational culture as a moderator of the personality‐managerial competency relationship
Authors: Chuttipattana Nirachon , Shamsudin Faridahwati Mohd. 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating or contingent effect of organizational culture on the relationship between the personality and managerial competencies of primary care managers in Thailand.Design/methodology/approachA survey involving distribution of questionnaires to 358 rural primary care managers in southern Thailand was conducted. Self‐reported measures on personality, managerial competency and organizational culture constructs, adopted from previous research, were employed. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and hierarchical multiple regressions were used for data analysis.FindingsHumanistic, prescriptive, and leadership culture moderated significantly the relationship between conscientiousness and specific dimensions of managerial competency, i.e. partnership, collaboration, and visionary leadership. In particular, the study found that managers seemed to be demonstrating the highest level of such competencies when they scored high on conscientiousness and worked in an environment that emphasizes a high humanistic culture, high leadership culture, and low prescriptive culture.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings may be generalizable to any people working in primary care who have a responsibility to engage people in their own care. Further research could be done in other countries to see whether this conclusion is in fact correct. It would also be useful to research whether the findings apply to other health and social areas.Practical implicationsSpecific personality traits have an influence on managerial competency within certain organizational cultures. A humanistic and leadership culture should be fostered in primary health care units. Focusing on developing conscientiousness in managers should not be overlooked. Relevant training development programs may be important.Originality/valueThis study argues that the effects of personality on managerial competency are moderated by organizational culture. The findings will be useful to policy makers and those responsible in human development, particularly, health care managers.