title: Communicating innovation: An appreciative inquiry investigation into innovation in China

authors: Xu, Xinli

subjects: innovation

abstract: The thesis considers that the intersection of creativity, innovation management, and communication are under researched in China. It seeks make a contribution to this area through exploratory research in a range of companies in Wenzhou, a south-east city in Zhejiang province, China. By researching firms across different sectors, and through analysing the companies‟ experiences of innovation generation and implementation, this thesis offers findings in a range of areas including: the apprehension of successful innovation, innovation and top leadership, and the relationship between innovation and customer value creations. The main findings indicate several aspects of innovation in China. First, Chinese enterprises considered successful innovations as those can bring profitable growth. Second, top leadership drives innovation and has the greatest influence on corporate innovation in Chinese enterprises. Third, although few companies in Wenzhou have created new products, or new markets, an increasing number of customer-oriented innovations occurred in recent years in Chinese enterprises. In addition, investigations on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) after the field research, reveals that Chinese state-owned enterprises may be promoting similar ideas in relation to innovation and CSR. To sum up, this research project provided an insight into recent perceptions of innovation, innovation readiness, and innovation achievement by Chinese enterprises in Wenzhou.

text: Communicating innovation: An appreciative inquiry investigation into innovation in China The thesis considers that the intersection of creativity, innovation management, and communication are under researched in China. It seeks make a contribution to this area through exploratory research in a range of companies in Wenzhou, a south-east city in Zhejiang province, China. By researching firms across different sectors, and through analysing the companies‟ experiences of innovation generation and implementation, this thesis offers findings in a range of areas including: the apprehension of successful innovation, innovation and top leadership, and the relationship between innovation and customer value creations. The main findings indicate several aspects of innovation in China. First, Chinese enterprises considered successful innovations as those can bring profitable growth. Second, top leadership drives innovation and has the greatest influence on corporate innovation in Chinese enterprises. Third, although few companies in Wenzhou have created new products, or new markets, an increasing number of customer-oriented innovations occurred in recent years in Chinese enterprises. In addition, investigations on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) after the field research, reveals that Chinese state-owned enterprises may be promoting similar ideas in relation to innovation and CSR. To sum up, this research project provided an insight into recent perceptions of innovation, innovation readiness, and innovation achievement by Chinese enterprises in Wenzhou.

year: 2009

title: Comment

authors: Mitchell, Linda

abstract: This issue of Early Childhood Folio ranges from a big-picture and readable review of the main debates within the literature about play in Western settings, to a small, qualitative, in-depth case study of a single child and the use of narrative inquiry to explore concepts of wellbeing and its link to personal identity. All of the authors draw out clear and sometimes challenging implications for the role of the teacher, making the collection highly relevant to practitioners and those working in teacher education and professional development.

text: Comment This issue of Early Childhood Folio ranges from a big-picture and readable review of the main debates within the literature about play in Western settings, to a small, qualitative, in-depth case study of a single child and the use of narrative inquiry to explore concepts of wellbeing and its link to personal identity. All of the authors draw out clear and sometimes challenging implications for the role of the teacher, making the collection highly relevant to practitioners and those working in teacher education and professional development.

year: 2012

title: Supervision of Maori doctoral students: A descriptive report

authors: McKinley, Elizabeth

subjects: Maori education

abstract: This report follows up a previous paper that outlined the goals and plans of a research project that focused on both theoretical and cultural questions regarding the supervisory process for Māori doctoral students (McKinley, Grant, Middleton, Irwin, & Williams, 2007). The major goal of the project is to enhance understanding of the teaching and learning process of supervision for students and supervisors, particularly around issues of culture that arise in research methodologies and practices. This paper reports on the completed project by providing further operational background, design features, the nature of the student and supervisor samples and a summary of interview findings. The results show that there are indeed distinctive issues arising within the supervision of Māori doctoral students. Some of these are to do with both pleasures and challenges found in the supervision relationship, while others relate to the kinds of projects the students undertake. Many projects for example, push at the disciplinary boundaries of Western knowledge and are often rooted in a political desire to enhance the everyday lives of Māori. Yet others are connected to identity formation processes that concern many Māori during their years as doctoral students. A central message for supervisors from this work is that the supervision of Māori doctoral students may require unfamiliar forms of engagement but that these are likely to be deeply rewarding in many different ways.

text: Supervision of Maori doctoral students: A descriptive report This report follows up a previous paper that outlined the goals and plans of a research project that focused on both theoretical and cultural questions regarding the supervisory process for Māori doctoral students (McKinley, Grant, Middleton, Irwin, & Williams, 2007). The major goal of the project is to enhance understanding of the teaching and learning process of supervision for students and supervisors, particularly around issues of culture that arise in research methodologies and practices. This paper reports on the completed project by providing further operational background, design features, the nature of the student and supervisor samples and a summary of interview findings. The results show that there are indeed distinctive issues arising within the supervision of Māori doctoral students. Some of these are to do with both pleasures and challenges found in the supervision relationship, while others relate to the kinds of projects the students undertake. Many projects for example, push at the disciplinary boundaries of Western knowledge and are often rooted in a political desire to enhance the everyday lives of Māori. Yet others are connected to identity formation processes that concern many Māori during their years as doctoral students. A central message for supervisors from this work is that the supervision of Māori doctoral students may require unfamiliar forms of engagement but that these are likely to be deeply rewarding in many different ways.

year: 2009