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Responsible management education in Egyptian public business schools: Are academics ready?
Get PDFPurpose – This paper focuses on three out of the 24 public business schools in Egypt in order to
investigate how responsible management education is perceived and exercised by academics there.
Design/ methodology/ approach – A total of 168 academics were contacted and interviewed in 42
focus groups. The length of each focus group was about 45 minutes, and interviews were conducted in
Arabic as most respondents have no mastery of the English language. The authors used thematic
analysis to extract the main ideas in the transcripts.
Findings – Based on data analysis of the perceptions of academics concerning business education,
research and management process at the target business schools, the authors of this paper found that
responsible management education is not considered a priority in the work agendas of the three
Egyptian public business schools. Besides a lack of general acceptance and awareness of the need for
responsible management education, there are functional, procedural and edu-academic barriers that
these schools need to overcome first before proceeding with implementation and expecting positive
outcomes.
Research limitations/ implications – This research maybe subject to criticism because the authors
address only the perspectives of academics in the chosen business schools while neglecting other
academic partners, particularly those in managerial positions, such as rectors and heads of
departments. Future researchers may use the same research questions to investigate a managerial level
perspective to depict a more holistic picture of the situation. Moreover, including Egyptian private
business schools may also enrich the findings. In fact, the authors suggest that scholars from different
academic disciplines such as sustainability management, business ethics, higher education,
sustainability and cultural diversity work together to produce more interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research on the global responsibility themes business schools have to manage.
Practical implications – If the administration of the addressed business schools seek to implement
responsible management education, they should overcome the following barriers. Firstly, the
functional barrier (the limited financial budget and need for official approval to address both sociocultural and environmental aspects). Secondly, procedural barriers (lack of channels for formal and/or
informal collaborations with governmental bodies, private enterprises, NGOs and social activist
groups). Thirdly, Edu-academic barriers (lack of CSR inclusion in business school strategy, faculty
promotion and incentives not tied to their proactive embedding of sustainable development and other
socio-cultural issues into their curricula, research and academic practices, and no incentive or support
for interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary collaboration with researchers and faculty from other
departments and faculties).
Originality/ value – This paper contributes by filling a gap in sustainability, HR management,
business ethics, and higher education literature in which empirical studies on responsible management
education and the responsible practices of academics have been limited so fa
The role of vascular adaptation in determining systolic BP in young adults
No full textBackground: Two individuals can have a similar pulse pressure (PP)but very different levels of systolic blood pressure(SBP),although the underlying mechanisms have not been described. We hypothesised that,for a given level of PP, differences in SBP relate to peripheral vascular resistance (PVR) and we tested this hypothesis in a large cohort of healthy young adults. Methods and Results: Demographic, biochemical and haemodynamic data from 3103 subjects were available for the current analyses.In both males and females, for a given level of PP, higher SBP was associated with significantly higher body weight, body mass index, heart rate and PVR (P<0.05 versus those with lower BP for all comparisons). Moreover, stratifying individuals by tertiles of PP and PVR revealed a stepwise increase in SBP from the lowest to highest tertiles for each variable, with the highest SBP occurring in those in the highest tertile of both PPnand PVRn(P<0.001 for overall trend for both sexes). PVR was also increased with increasing tertile of minimum forearm vascular resistance, in both males (P=0.002)and females (P=0.03). Conclusion: Increased PVR, mediated in part through altered resistance vessel structure,strongly associates with the elevation of SBP for a given level of PP in young adults. An impaired ability to adapt PVR appropriately to a given level of PP may be an important mechanism underlying elevated SBP in young adults
Coworking in the digital economy: Context, motivations, and outcomes
Get PDFThe number of self-employed, freelancers, and remote workers has risen steadily; simultaneously a range of collaborative shared workspaces – coworking spaces – has emerged rapidly in which these individuals ‘work alone together’. However, existing research is skewed towards the community aspect of coworking, treated largely as an end in itself and investigated by qualitative approaches only. We argue that this represents only a partial account of coworking. Thus in addressing the basic research question of why people who no longer need to work together apparently choose to do so (for at least part of their working lives), we delineate inputs (social and environmental factors), outputs (community, interaction and knowledge sharing) and outcomes (innovation, growth) of coworking and investigate these quantitatively for the first time. Data was collected via a questionnaire survey of coworkers across two coworking spaces in South East Wales, UK. We find that coworkers report enhanced levels of innovation, despite this typically not being an explicit motivation. Finally we discuss potential limitations of the study, possible policy implications, and fruitful areas of further research such counterfactual surveys of those presently not using coworking spaces, multivariate and longitudinal methods to further explore the causal relationships between inputs, outputs and outcomes
University knowledge transfer and innovation performance in firms: The Ghanaian experience
Get PDFThis paper examines the association between university–industry collaboration and firm innovation performance, and the effect of informal mechanisms of knowledge transfer on such an association, using data from a survey of 245 firms in Ghana and employing partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results are of significant relevance to the business community and policy-makers in Ghana and West African. We find that while university–industry collaboration is positively related to innovation performance in firms, informal mechanisms of university knowledge transfer do not and negatively moderate the positive association between university–industry collaboration and innovation performance in firms. It is also found that to facilitate innovation outcomes, formal, legal binding contracts are required. The study recommends that university knowledge generation and innovation policies in Ghana encourage formal collaboration between knowledge exchange actors. It is also suggested that improvements need to be made to the efficacy of intellectual property legislation in Ghana
Which way now? Comparison of marine codes of conduct for sustainable marine wildlife tourism in West Wales
Get PDFAs a specific area of niche tourism, sustainable marine wildlife tourism has experienced dramatic growth in recent years. This has resulted in a plethora of academic and non-academic literature, exploring and reinforcing good practice. However, little consideration has been given to whether current advice given to those involved in the industry is consistent. The seas around West Wales support an incredibly rich and diverse range of marine species, most notably dolphins, seals and whales. Although a number of voluntary marine codes exist for local boat operators, it is unclear whether these correlate with advice given to operators further afield. Recognising that consistent standards are vital when dealing with migratory species, this paper explores, via a thematic analysis, differences in current marine wildlife tourism codes of conduct between Wales and other countries located along the migratory routes of Minke, Orca and Fin Whales. Results show a proliferation of codes, which has resulted in significant levels of contradiction. This paper will make recommendations about what might improve existing local, national and international codes of conduct for marine wildlife tour operators and critique issues associated with those recommendations
Reclaiming the ‘competent’ practitioner: furthering the case for the practically wise coach
Get PDFThe principal purpose of this paper is to further the case for phronesis as a progressive coaching concept. It is thus argued that coaching be considered (1) as a ‘geneology’ (Foucault, 1971), (2) as contextualist in nature, (3) as being imbedded in the minutiae of action, and (4) as ethical practice. To these we add the notions of emergence and situational literacy. Although to a degree theory-led, we co-constructed the argument through recourse to an 18 month ethnographic study of the Norwegian national female handball team, and in particular the actions of head coach Marit Breivik during the period of investigation. What was embarked upon here was akin to a contested dialogue between phronetic theory and the available empirical data. In advocating the general case of coaching to be informed by phronetic principles, we reclaim the coach as a ‘competent’ practitioner, a term involving emergent self-awareness and discernible judgement in relation to contextual goings on
Superior cardiac mechanics without structural adaptations in pre-adolescent soccer players
Get PDFAims: This study aimed to evaluate left ventricular (LV) structure, function and mechanics, in highly-trained, pre-adolescent soccer players (SP) compared to age- and sex-matched controls (CON).
Design: The study design was a prospective, cross-sectional comparison of LV structure, function and mechanics.
Methods: Twenty-two male SP from two professional youth soccer academies (age: 12.0±0.3 years) and twenty-two recreationally active CON (age: 11.7±0.3 years) were recruited. Two-dimensional conventional and speckle tracking echocardiography were used to quantify LV structure, function and peak/temporal values for LV strain and twist, respectively.
Results: End-diastolic volume index was larger in SP (51 ± 8 mm/(m2)1.5 vs. 45 ± 6 mm/(m2)1.5; p=0.007) and concentricity was lower in SP (4.3 ± 0.7 g/(mL)0.667 vs. 4.9 ± 1.0 g/(mL)0.667; p=0.017), without differences in mean wall thickness between groups (6.0 ± 0.4 mm vs. 6.1 ± 0.5 mm; p=0.754). Peak circumferential strain at the base (-22.2 ± 2.5% vs. -20.5 ± 2.5%; p=0.029) and papillary muscle levels (-20.1 ± 1.5% vs. -18.3 ± 2.5%; p=0.007) were greater in SP. Peak LV twist was larger in SP (16.92 ± 7.55º vs. 12.34 ± 4.99 º; p=0.035) and longitudinal early diastolic strain rate was greater in SP (2.22 ± 0.40 s -1 vs. 2.02 ± 0.46 s -1; p=0.025).
Conclusions: Highly-trained SP demonstrated augmented cardiac mechanics with greater circumferential strains, twist and faster diastolic lengthening in the absence of differences in wall thickness between SP and CON
Leading the left: sociability and the micropolitics of cultural reproduction in grassroots boxe popolare coaching
Get PDFThis article explores coaching in boxe popolare (people's boxing) – a style of boxing codified by leftist grassroots groups in contemporary Italy. The paper presents a micro-sociological analysis of data collected during a three-year multi-sited participant observation focusing on Patrick (pseudonym), who is the leading coach of a boxe popolare team. It examines the micropolitics of reproduction via the under-researched notion of ‘sociability’. To contextualise this, a Bourdieusian framework, drawing on the concepts of ‘field’, ‘capital’, ‘habitus’, ‘doxa’ and ‘symbolic violence’, is employed. Findings highlight how boxe popolare is infused with far-left militant culture. Patrick uses sociability strategically, (a) to reproduce an embodied ethics of this specific boxing style; (b) to strengthen the collective values inherent within boxe popolare political milieu; (c) to perform the boxe popolare network; and finally, (d) to legitimise his own authority in the coaching structure. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of sociability for understanding micropolitical influence in coaching practice and consider the emergent idea of hybrid field as a way to better explore the interplay between coaching pedagogy, the political field and beyond
Action research within an elite rugby union coaching group to influence change in coach learning and pedagogic practice
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to investigate how I, a Welsh regional rugby academy head coach, could utilize practical collaborative action research (CAR) to influence collaboration, learning and pedagogic change within a coaching group. Action research (AR) aims to increase knowledge and improve practice in applied settings and utilises the experiences of the participants as researchers in the field. I acted as head coach and lead researcher with two other professional coaches and two sport science support staff over a three-month period. Data was collected through reflective logs, video observations of training sessions and team meetings. Whilst not without frustrations, difficulties and challenges, qualitative analysis revealed that the coaching team made significant strides in their collaboration, learning and pedagogic practice. Using CAR provided opportunities for the coaching team to develop their motivation, pedagogical knowledge, coaching practice and reflective abilities
Seasonal variation in neuromuscular control in young male soccer players
Get PDFObjective
Determine how lower limb neuromuscular control changes over the course of a competitive soccer season.
Design
Repeated measures.
Setting
Academy soccer club.
Participants
43 male youth soccer players (age 13.1 ± 2.2 yr; height 160.1 ± 15.7 cm; body mass 49.4 ± 14.3 kg; maturity offset 0.2 ± 1.9 yr).
Main outcome measures
Pre-, mid- and end of season assessments of peak landing forces during single leg 75% horizontal hop and stick (75%HOP) and a single leg countermovement jump (SLCMJ), single leg hop for distance (SLHD), knee valgus during the tuck jump assessment (TJA) and inter-limb symmetries.
Results
Hop distance increased significantly. Absolute peak landing forces in the left leg during the SLCMJ and 75%HOP increased significantly, with significant increases also present in the same leg for SLCMJ relative peak landing force. TJA knee valgus score was reduced in the right leg, but remained at a ‘moderate’ level in the left knee.
Conclusion
Neuromuscular control, as evidenced by increased absolute and relative peak landing forces, appears to reduce over the course of a competitive season. Young soccer players should engage in neuromuscular training throughout the season to offset any decrements in neuromuscular control and to facilitate appropriate landing strategies