bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Are we having fun yet? Creating a motivating work environment
Authors: Clark Regina M. 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to give readers some ideas about how to create a motivating work environment. A motivating environment will lead to increased productivity ad reduced turnover.Design/methodology/approachRegina Clark speaks at association conferences and corporate meetings throughout the year. The ideas found in this article were communicated by audience members or were a result of experiences that Regina had as a management consultant.FindingsThere are many practical applications cited in the article. All of the ideas have been implemented.Originality/valueThis paper aims to share best practices.
Personalised learning environments (part 2): a conceptual model for construction
Authors: Syed‐Khuzzan S.M. , Goulding J.S. 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual model for a PLE prototype, specifically incorporating learning styles for the UK construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThe initial research methodology approach adopted for this paper embraced the distillation of core research material gathered from a detailed literature review. The literature review encompassed the needs and importance of developing a PLE prototype, and used as a context learning styles for the UK construction industry. A qualitative approach was used in this research, as this was considered more suitable for studying social and cultural phenomena. This paper explores the relationship between pedagogy and technology in the context of the design and implementation of a PLE. The implementation framework for the PLE adopted the principles of the “Collaborative System Design” approach as identified by the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative Guidelines.FindingsThis paper describes the development phases of the PLE prototype incorporating learning styles. This prototype incorporates a learning style inventory – known as the diagnostic questionnaire which was developed based on the amalgamation of three existing models of learning styles defined from a detailed synthesis of the literature – namely the Kolb's model of learning styles, Honey and Mumford's model of learning styles and the Felder and Solomon's model of learning styles.Originality/valueThis paper is a very useful source in developing a learning style inventory and a PLE prototype incorporating learning styles.
Open science in e‐science: contingency or policy?
Authors: Fry Jenny , Schroeder Ralph , den Besten Matthijs 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThis paper seeks to discuss the question of “openness” in e‐Science.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on 12 in‐depth interviews with principal investigators, project managers and developers involved in UK e‐Science projects, together with supporting documentary evidence from project web sites. The approach was to explore the juxtaposition of research governance at the institutional level and local research practices at the project level. Interview questions focused on research inputs, software development processes, access to resources, project documentation, dissemination of outputs and by‐products, licensing issues, and institutional contracts.FindingsThe findings suggest that, although there is a widely shared ethos of openness in everyday research practice, there are many uncertainties and yet‐to‐be resolved issues, despite strong policy imperatives towards openly shared resources.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper concludes by observing a stratification of openness in practice and the need for more nuanced understanding of openness at the level of policy making. This research was based on interviews within a limited number of e‐Science/Social Science projects and the intention is to address this in future work by scaling the study up to a survey that will reach the entire UK e‐Science/Social Science community.Practical implicationsThe fundamental challenge in resolving openness in practice and policy, and thereby moving towards a sustainable infrastructure for e‐Science, is the coordination and integration of goals across e‐Science efforts, rather than one of resolving IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) issues, which has been the central focus of openness debates thus far.Originality/valueThe question of openness has previously been posed on the macro‐level of research policy, e.g. whether science as a whole can be characterized as open science, or in relation to the dissemination of published outputs, e.g. Open Access. Instead, a fine‐grained perspective is taken focusing on individual research projects and the various facets of openness in practice.
Documentation and the users of digital resources in the humanities
Authors: Warwick Claire , Galina Isabel , Rimmer Jon , Terras Melissa , Blandford Ann , Gow Jeremy , Buchanan George 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of documentation for digital humanities resources. This includes technical documentation of textual markup or database construction, and procedural documentation about resource construction.Design/methodology/approachA case study is presented of an attempt to reuse electronic text to create a digital library for humanities users, as part of the UCIS project. The results of qualitative research by the LAIRAH study on provision of procedural documentation are discussed, as also is, user perception of the purpose, construction and usability of resources collected using semi‐structured interviews and user workshops.FindingsIn the absence of technical documentation, it was impossible to reuse text files with inconsistent markup (COCOA and XML) in a Digital Library. Also, although users require procedural documentation, about the status and completeness of sources, and selection methods, this is often difficult to locate.Practical implicationsCreators of digital humanities resources should provide both technical and procedural documentation and make it easy to find, ideally from the project web site. To ensure that documentation is provided, research councils could make documentation a project deliverable. This will be even more vital once the AHDS is no longer funded to help ensure good practice in digital resource creation.Originality/valuePrevious work has argued that documentation is important. However, the paper presents actual evidence of the problems caused by a lack of documentation and shows that this makes reuse of digital resources almost impossible. This is intended to persuade project creators who wish resources to be reused to provide documentation about its contents and technical specifications.
Attracted to open access journals: a bibliometric author analysis in the field of biology
Authors: Faber Frandsen Tove 
Published: January 2009

PurposeScholars from developing countries have limited access to research publications due to expensive subscription costs. However, the open access movement is challenging the constraint to access. Consequently, researchers in developing countries are often mentioned as major recipients of the benefits when advocating open access (OA). One of the implications of that argument is that authors from developing countries are more likely to perceive open access positively than authors from developed countries. The present study aims to investigate the use of open access by researchers from developing countries and is thus a supplement to the existing author surveys and interviews.Design/methodology/approachBibliometric analyses of both publishing behaviour and citing behaviour in relation to OA publishing provides evidence of the impact of open access on developing countries.FindingsThe results of the multivariate linear regression show that open access journals are not characterised by a different composition of authors from the traditional toll access journals. Furthermore, the results show that authors from developing countries do not cite open access more than authors from developed countries.Originality/valueThe paper argues that authors from developing countries are not attracted to open access more than authors from developed countries.
Understanding interaction in information seeking and use as a discourse: a dialogic approach
Authors: Foster Jonathan 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to identify the organization, functions, and forms of talk that occur as groups collectively review, interpret, and organise information sought and retrieved as part of a learning activity.Design/methodology/approachParticipants in the study were undergraduate students conducting a series of group investigations into the topic of information management. A content analysis of the discourse generated during the presentation‐planning stage of the group investigations was conducted.FindingsFindings relate to the discovery of a focus formulation step; speakers' use of structuring, informing, eliciting, and summarizing sequences; and speakers' use of exploratory, coordinating, disputational, and cumulative forms of talk. Variations in the use of the functions and forms of talk across the steps of the task and across the groups are discussed.Research limitations/implicationsIssues relating to the reliability and validity of the content analysis are discussed; along with the implications of the study for the support of dialogic interaction during collaborative information seeking and use.Originality/valueThe originality of the paper rests in analyzing collaboration in information seeking and use as a discourse; and in hypothesizing as to the nature of educationally‐valued interaction when speakers collaborate on the seeking and use of information in learning settings.
Student digital information‐seeking behaviour in context
Authors: Nicholas David , Huntington Paul , Jamali Hamid R. , Rowlands Ian , Fieldhouse Maggie 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThis study provides evidence on the actual information‐seeking behaviour of students in a digital scholarly environment, not what they thought they did. It also compares student information‐seeking behaviour with that of other academic communities, and, in some cases, for practitioners.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered as part of CIBER's ongoing Virtual Scholar programme. In particular log data from two digital journals libraries, Blackwell Synergy and OhioLINK, and one e‐book collection (Oxford Scholarship Online) are utilized.FindingsThe study showed a distinctive form of information‐seeking behaviour associated with students and differences between them and other members of the academic community. For example, students constituted the biggest users in terms of sessions and pages viewed, and they were more likely to undertake longer online sessions. Undergraduates and postgraduates were the most likely users of library links to access scholarly databases, suggesting an important “hot link” role for libraries.Originality/valueFew studies have focused on the actual (rather than perceived) information‐seeking behaviour of students. The study fills that gap.
Meaning in philosophy and meaning in information retrieval (IR)
Authors: Thornley Clare , Gibb Forbes 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the question of whether the differences between meaning in philosophy and meaning in information retrieval (IR) have implications for the use of philosophy in supporting research in IR.Design/methodology/approachThe approach takes the form of a conceptual analysis and literature review.FindingsThere are some differences in the role of meaning in terms of purpose, content and use which should be clarified in order to assist a productive relationship between the philosophy of language and IR.Research limitations/implicationsThis provides some new theoretical insights into the philosophical context of IR. It suggests that further productive work on the central concepts within IR could be achieved through the use of a methodology which analyses how exactly these concepts are discussed in other disciplines and the implications of any differences in the way in which they may operate in IR.Originality/valueThe paper suggests a new perspective on the relationship between philosophy and IR by exploring the role of meaning in these respective disciplines and highlighting differences, as well as similarities, with particular reference to the role of information as well as meaning in IR. This contributes to an understanding of two of the central concepts in IR, meaning and information, and the ways in which they are related. There is a history of work in IR and information science (IS) examining dilemmas and the paper builds on this work by relating it to some similar dilemmas in philosophy. Thus it develops the theory and conceptual understanding of IR by suggesting that philosophy could be used as a way of exploring intractable dilemmas in IR.
Ambiguity and legitimate peripheral participation in the creation of scientific documents
Authors: Shankar Kalpana 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on a qualitative study of data management and recordkeeping in the research sciences and their roles in information creation and professional identity formation.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses ethnographic fieldwork data in an academic laboratory to examine documentation practices as a part of the trajectory of scientific professionalization. The article examines ethnographic fieldnotes and medical records as cognate areas that provide insight into the topic.FindingsThe paper argues that scientific recordkeeping is essential for learning to balance professional standards and personal knowledge, establishing comfort with ambiguity, and can be a process marked by ritual, anxiety, and affect. The article does this by discussing the creation of record from data, tacit knowledge as part of that process, and the process of legitimate peripheral participation (LPP).Research limitations/implicationsThe qualitative nature of the study suggests the need for similar studies in other environments.Originality/valueThe article emphasizes recordkeeping as a part of documentation studies by taking an interdisciplinary, ethnographic approach that is still emergent in information studies. The article is written primarily for fellow researchers.
What HR managers do versus what employees value
Authors: De Vos Ans , Meganck Annelies 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore HR managers' and employees' views on the factors affecting employee retention using the perspective of the psychological contract.Design/methodology/approachTwo studies were conducted. First, a sample of HR managers gave their view on the factors affecting employee retention and turnover and described their retention practices. Second, a large sample of employees reported on the importance attached to five types of employer inducements commonly regarded as retention factors, on their evaluation of these inducements and on their loyalty. Regression analysis was used to examine the impact of the delivery of employer inducements on retention.FindingsThe HR managers survey indicates that retention practices focus more on the factors believed to cause employee turnover (career opportunities and financial rewards) than on those believed to affect employee retention (social atmosphere, job content, work‐life balance). The focus on career opportunities is supported by the employee survey. The delivery of career opportunities had the strongest impact on employee loyalty while the impact of the delivery of financial rewards was much smaller.Research limitations/implicationsIt is useful to distinguish between different content dimensions of the psychological contract when studying its impact on employee outcomes. The psychological contract provides a relevant framework for studying employee retention.Practical implicationsThis paper offers HR professionals' insights into the effectiveness of retention practices.Originality/valueThe paper shows how the psychological contract can be applied in retention management and examines impact of different content dimensions of the psychological contract on employee outcomes.
Moderating effect of national attributes and the role of cultural dimensions in technology adoption takeoff
Authors: Haapaniemi Tomi P. , Mäkinen Saku J. 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on the influence of national cultural dimensions on the evolution of national innovation adoption over time. The paper considers the moderating effects of national wealth, population density and illiteracy rate on the role of cultural dimensions in the timing of innovation takeoff in national markets.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical study investigates 137 national innovation adoption time series; the dependent variable being the time it takes for innovation adoption to take off. The independent variables are Hofstede's five cultural dimensions and the moderating variables are gross domestic product (GDP), population density and illiteracy rate.FindingsThe outcome of the study shows that cultural dimensions have a greater influence on takeoff time in countries with highly developed economies, dense populations and low illiteracy rates. The study also shows that especially the cultural dimension of individualism has a significant context independent influence on takeoff dynamics, whereas masculinity has no such effect.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper provides evidence that the influence of cultural dimensions may be more complex than previously believed. Contribution of the research to the academic community especially lies in results regarding moderation effect of GDP, population density and illiteracy. Other independent and moderating variables could provide useful subjects for further research.Practical implicationsThe results of this study could assist companies conducting business in cross‐national settings in planning their international operations in such areas as designing marketing promotions and deciding the entry order into national markets. Especially, useful the results are in pre‐takeoff phase of the evolution of innovation adoption.Originality/valueThe paper extends our understanding of the relationship between the national cultural dimensions and the early evolution of innovation adoption. Incomplete understanding of the cross‐national dynamics of the innovation adoption takeoff is scrutinized and the findings support earlier research that cultural dimensions affect adoption dynamics. The study demonstrates that the influence of cultural dimensions may be dependent on and moderated by other national attributes.
Trade union merger strategies: good or bad?
Authors: Gennard John 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this editorial is to review the significance of Roger Undy's book, Trade Union Merger Strategies: Purpose, Process and Performance, Oxford University Press, 2008.Design/methodology/approachThe editorial outlines and evaluates the arguments put forward by Dr Undy to explain why trade union mergers take place. It also evaluates the book's analysis of the politics of trade union mergers.FindingsAs trade union membership has declined mergers have been prominent features in strategies of union revival. Yet, there is little empirical research into the effects of mergers on the unions actually merging or on their impact on the wider union movement. Dr Undy concludes that mergers do not provide a solution to the problem of falling membership and that transfers of engagements are often more successful than amalgamations.Originality/valueThe editorial offers insights into the process, performance and effects of trade union mergers.
Labour mobility and migration within the EU following the 2004 Central and East European enlargement
Authors: Dobson John R. 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe paper seeks to investigate the effects of the 2004 Central and East European EU Enlargement on labour mobility.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on an analysis of recently available empirical evidence from the UK Labour Registration Scheme and EU comparative data based on administrative data and labour force surveys.FindingsOnly Ireland, Austria and Germany had significant migration from CEE migration and none of these exceeded 2 per cent of the labour force. The imposition of a transitional arrangement had little effect on migration flows. CEE workers were predominantly young, had above average education and yet did not fill UK skills gaps, but filled labour shortages for low paid, unskilled work.Originality/valueThis paper assesses the empirical evidence on labour mobility from Central and Eastern Europe, which is used to assess the current highly contentious debate.
The changing locus of workplace control in the English further education sector
Authors: Mather Kim , Worrall Les , Seifert Roger 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to discuss how the so‐called “modernisation” agenda has triggered changes in the structure and management of the UK public sector. The concern of the paper is with how such changes have impacted on the labour process of lecturers in the English further education sector.Design/methodology/approachA Bravermanian approach is adopted to examine aspects of change in the FE lecturer labour process. Empirical evidence is derived from three FE colleges and draws on data from semi‐structured interviews, a survey of lecturers and documentary evidence.FindingsPower relations have been radically reinvented in these colleges, with senior managers now able to redefine the parameters of lecturers' contractual obligations. These colleges were characterised by standardisation, routinisation and rules driven by senior managers who saw themselves as “change agents” and “modernisers”. Lecturers, on the other hand, felt that they had less power, job autonomy and task discretion. The labour process provides a valid explanatory framework for linking these observed changes in workplace relations to broader matters of political economy.Research limitations/implicationsThe research provides detailed insights into changes in FE lecturers' working experiences. However, the reliance on three colleges may place some limitations on the generalisability of these findings.Practical implicationsFE lecturers are central to delivering on ministerial priorities around skills for work. The paper reveals that lecturers feel under‐valued, over‐worked and over‐managed. This raises questions as to the sustainability of current approaches to the management of FE lecturer labour.Originality/valueThe FE sector continues to be under‐researched and the paper therefore provides a valuable contribution.