title: The combined influence of top and middle management leadership styles on absorptive capacity

authors: Sun, Peter Yih-Tong

subjects: absorptive capacity

abstract: Absorptive capacity is an important organizational capability constituted by exploratory, transformative, and exploitative learning processes. Leadership has been shown to affect such processes, but little is known about how the combined leadership styles of top and middle management influence absorptive capacity. This theory-building, exploratory qualitative case study discusses the need for top and middle management to be ambidextrous and to change their styles to better facilitate the three different learning processes. We found that an exploratory learning process was facilitated when both top and middle management used a transformational style, a transformative learning process was facilitated when top management used a transformational style while middle management used a transactional style, and an exploitative learning process was facilitated when both top and middle management used a transactional style. Furthermore, for each of the three learning processes, the leadership styles of top and middle management operated more effectively when certain attributes of the organizational context were emphasized.

text: The combined influence of top and middle management leadership styles on absorptive capacity Absorptive capacity is an important organizational capability constituted by exploratory, transformative, and exploitative learning processes. Leadership has been shown to affect such processes, but little is known about how the combined leadership styles of top and middle management influence absorptive capacity. This theory-building, exploratory qualitative case study discusses the need for top and middle management to be ambidextrous and to change their styles to better facilitate the three different learning processes. We found that an exploratory learning process was facilitated when both top and middle management used a transformational style, a transformative learning process was facilitated when top management used a transformational style while middle management used a transactional style, and an exploitative learning process was facilitated when both top and middle management used a transactional style. Furthermore, for each of the three learning processes, the leadership styles of top and middle management operated more effectively when certain attributes of the organizational context were emphasized.

year: 2011

title: Understanding of marine environments and sustainability by primary school children in lombok, indonesia

authors: Nusantari, Hani

subjects: Primary school

abstract: ABSTRACT

Seagrass beds, mangrove forests and coral reefs as a part of marine environments play an important role in the coastal regions. These environments support the coastal communities by providing resources such as food and income. For many years, marine environments have been facing destruction the majority of which is caused by human impact. The lack of knowledge of how to use and manage the marine resources wisely and sustainably is one reason why marine environments are still facing degradation. 
 
Primary school children who live in two coastal villages in Lombok Island, Indonesia were questioned about their conceptual understanding of their local marine environments and their ideas about sustainability in these environments. Using an interpretive methodology framework, children and their teachers from Grades 5 and 6 in two primary schools in coastal villages, and elders in the villages were studied and. The data gathered from the children through questionnaires and interviews, and from teachers and elders through interviews. Quantitative and qualitative analysis was used to analyse this data. 

The children's experiences in their marine environment appear to have strong connection with their knowledge. Their knowledge also developed by interaction with the people in the communities. Children value their local marine environment as a place that provides food for them and their parents teach them to respect it. Long traditions such as dumping waste in the beach or sea has an impact on children from fishing families and creates a contradiction between the positive values they have and negative attitudes they act on. The children are not taught environmental education in the schools since it is not a compulsory subject and teachers lack knowledge about the marine environment. 

Teachers and elders feel the importance of teaching about the marine environment to their children to give them the knowledge and ability to use the marine resources in sustainable way. For children who are a part of coastal communities, learning about their local marine environment should be made a priority to so they have basic knowledge and understanding in using the marine environment in sustainable ways. Marine environmental education should not only educate children in formal school but also educate people in the communities. The coastal communities as a whole should be working together to achieve the aims of education and conservation. Additionally, the school as a whole needs to support the implementation of marine environmental education.

text: Understanding of marine environments and sustainability by primary school children in lombok, indonesia ABSTRACT

Seagrass beds, mangrove forests and coral reefs as a part of marine environments play an important role in the coastal regions. These environments support the coastal communities by providing resources such as food and income. For many years, marine environments have been facing destruction the majority of which is caused by human impact. The lack of knowledge of how to use and manage the marine resources wisely and sustainably is one reason why marine environments are still facing degradation. 
 
Primary school children who live in two coastal villages in Lombok Island, Indonesia were questioned about their conceptual understanding of their local marine environments and their ideas about sustainability in these environments. Using an interpretive methodology framework, children and their teachers from Grades 5 and 6 in two primary schools in coastal villages, and elders in the villages were studied and. The data gathered from the children through questionnaires and interviews, and from teachers and elders through interviews. Quantitative and qualitative analysis was used to analyse this data. 

The children's experiences in their marine environment appear to have strong connection with their knowledge. Their knowledge also developed by interaction with the people in the communities. Children value their local marine environment as a place that provides food for them and their parents teach them to respect it. Long traditions such as dumping waste in the beach or sea has an impact on children from fishing families and creates a contradiction between the positive values they have and negative attitudes they act on. The children are not taught environmental education in the schools since it is not a compulsory subject and teachers lack knowledge about the marine environment. 

Teachers and elders feel the importance of teaching about the marine environment to their children to give them the knowledge and ability to use the marine resources in sustainable way. For children who are a part of coastal communities, learning about their local marine environment should be made a priority to so they have basic knowledge and understanding in using the marine environment in sustainable ways. Marine environmental education should not only educate children in formal school but also educate people in the communities. The coastal communities as a whole should be working together to achieve the aims of education and conservation. Additionally, the school as a whole needs to support the implementation of marine environmental education.

year: 2008

title: Pākehā Roots: Is claiming a Pākehā identity based on ethnic heritage or ethical choice?

authors: Green, Lynda

subjects: Authenticity

abstract: Development of a Pākehā identity has been an ongoing process since the first influx of people from the Northern Hemisphere set foot on the shores of Aotearoa. Originally the term Pākehā served as a generic term to distinguish early European colonisers from the Indigenous population who came to be known under the generic term of Māori. Both of these terms separated two groups of residents that have come to be known under the broader title of New Zealander. 

Chapter 2 begins with providing definitions from a range of sources describing some origins and definitions of the term Pākehā, discussion around the appropriateness of the term and how it can be used in our current timeframe to show empathy with Māori and their struggle for self-determination. A brief overview of human migration to the British Isles then the resulting migration to Aotearoa provides historical context to our pre-Pākehā heritage. Following this is a snapshot of some of our earliest Pākehā settlers which leads into the extent our governing bodies enlisted assisted immigrants to populate and provide infrastructure for this new colony of the British Empire. 

Chapter 3 delves into the angst-ridden territory of authentic existence championed through the existential philosophical movement. Tempered with a more compassionate approach from communitarian philosophy we are provided with a means to explore the many layers that build not only individual identity, but a collective identity also. Evidence is offered for the accommodation of the similarities, and more importantly differences we all experience in our wider relationships. Finally, focus is narrowed to specific issues attached to identifying as Pākehā in Aotearoa.

Underpinning this research are the nine semi-structured interviews which have provided tangible evidence of the complex elements accompanying the decision to self-identify as Pākehā (Chapter 4).  The very nature of identifying as Pākehā, as illustrated through the interview is not straightforward eliciting responses ranging from abundantly clear, to confusing and to contentious.  

The sheer diversity of responses generated an initial observance that, if this level of diversity in defining the term Pākehā is shown by nine people, how much more diversity would be operating throughout the general population. Here we can see how the basic premise of existential philosophy, that is, there is no essential nature to our existence, can be applied to attempting to seek a definition of being Pākehā that encapsulates all of the possible elements. What became abundantly apparent was the heartening feeling of most people striving for a sense of connectedness, on various levels, and a sense of belonging to this country we all call home.

text: Pākehā Roots: Is claiming a Pākehā identity based on ethnic heritage or ethical choice? Development of a Pākehā identity has been an ongoing process since the first influx of people from the Northern Hemisphere set foot on the shores of Aotearoa. Originally the term Pākehā served as a generic term to distinguish early European colonisers from the Indigenous population who came to be known under the generic term of Māori. Both of these terms separated two groups of residents that have come to be known under the broader title of New Zealander. 

Chapter 2 begins with providing definitions from a range of sources describing some origins and definitions of the term Pākehā, discussion around the appropriateness of the term and how it can be used in our current timeframe to show empathy with Māori and their struggle for self-determination. A brief overview of human migration to the British Isles then the resulting migration to Aotearoa provides historical context to our pre-Pākehā heritage. Following this is a snapshot of some of our earliest Pākehā settlers which leads into the extent our governing bodies enlisted assisted immigrants to populate and provide infrastructure for this new colony of the British Empire. 

Chapter 3 delves into the angst-ridden territory of authentic existence championed through the existential philosophical movement. Tempered with a more compassionate approach from communitarian philosophy we are provided with a means to explore the many layers that build not only individual identity, but a collective identity also. Evidence is offered for the accommodation of the similarities, and more importantly differences we all experience in our wider relationships. Finally, focus is narrowed to specific issues attached to identifying as Pākehā in Aotearoa.

Underpinning this research are the nine semi-structured interviews which have provided tangible evidence of the complex elements accompanying the decision to self-identify as Pākehā (Chapter 4).  The very nature of identifying as Pākehā, as illustrated through the interview is not straightforward eliciting responses ranging from abundantly clear, to confusing and to contentious.  

The sheer diversity of responses generated an initial observance that, if this level of diversity in defining the term Pākehā is shown by nine people, how much more diversity would be operating throughout the general population. Here we can see how the basic premise of existential philosophy, that is, there is no essential nature to our existence, can be applied to attempting to seek a definition of being Pākehā that encapsulates all of the possible elements. What became abundantly apparent was the heartening feeling of most people striving for a sense of connectedness, on various levels, and a sense of belonging to this country we all call home.

year: 2014