Academic literature on the topic 'Small training organisations'

Purpose This paper aims to examine the contributions of hybrid organisations to wellbeing in small Pacific island countries. Design/methodology/approach The concept and different forms of hybrid organisations are examined, and then the operation and contributions to wellbeing of three Fijian hybrid organisations are considered. Findings Hybrid organisations in this region operate with a commitment to the common good and an ethic of care. Fijian hybrid organisations improve social and economic wellbeing for individuals, families and communities by providing employment, schools and training facilities, financial and support services, sustainable agriculture projects and facilitating networking. These services improve individual and community social and economic wellbeing, build resilience, add to personal and family security, offer opportunities for the future, advance leadership skills and sustain the environment. Commercial activities that support these organisations in their wellbeing endeavours include product sales, service fees, project levies and investment income. Research limitations/implications Generalisability beyond the Pacific region is not assured, as this review only examines hybrid organisations in small Pacific island countries. Practical implications Hybrid organisations offer an alternative pathway to achieve a sustainable enterprise economy, an approach that is more culturally relevant for the Pacific region. Policies to nurture the development of these organisations, and research into the startup, operation, impact and effectiveness of different hybrid organisation models would help to improve wellbeing in this region. International charities and aid agencies could advance the wellbeing of people living in this region by supporting the development of hybrid organisations. External agencies seeking to support hybrid organisation development are advised to consider providing funding through a regional agency rather than engaging directly with national governments. Social implications Developing a robust hybrid organisation sector will improve social and economic wellbeing for people living in small island nations. Originality/value As one of the first studies to examine wellbeing and hybrid organisations, this review adds to hybrid business theory by its consideration of small Pacific island countries. The authors add to existing understandings of how hybrid organisations contribute to social and economic wellbeing for individuals, families and communities. The review identifies each form hybrid organisational form adopts. Each has a central commitment to generating social and economic value but different revenue sources. The review adds valuable new knowledge to the limited scholarship of this region by identifying the philosophical foundations and contributions to wellbeing of these hybrid organisations. A future research agenda and policy development process is proposed to improve wellbeing and advance hybrid organisations in the region.

The widespread implementation of new management practices (NMPs) in industrialised countries has had a significant impact on employee training. Examines five NMPs: the learning organisation; total quality management; lean production/high performance work organisations; teamworking; and business process re‐engineering. Focuses on the relationship between organisational change and training at the enterprise level. The research identified important findings in six key areas: small business; the use of the vocational education and training system; the importance of the individual; the nature of training; the importance of behavioural skills; and organisational change. The study confirmed that workplace change is a major driver of improved training provision in enterprises. It showed unambiguously that most NMPs are associated with higher levels of training. The integration of training with business strategy was found to be the most important factor in driving training across a wide range of training activities and appears to lead to an across the board boost to enterprise training in all its forms.

Purpose Organisations invest heavily in training and development initiatives (Miller, 2012). However, a small percentage of what is learnt by the trainees from training gets transferred to the job (Mackay, 2007). The purpose of this study is to extend previous findings and examine various organisational factors, which have not been studied sufficiently, that influence training transfer. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model based on previous research work is hypothesised and tested. The sample included 123 full-time employees working at one of the major public sector organisations operating in India. Findings The result suggested that training transfer climate, training awareness, participation and involvement in training decision and training assessment mechanism were found to be positively and significantly related to perceived training transfer. Research limitations/implications Typical limitations consistent with self-report measures (e.g. social desirability) apply to this study as well. Another limitation was the small sample size. Future studies should assess a large sample size. Future research may assess the extent to which not only trainees but also other training stakeholders, such as trainers and supervisors, feel accountable and responsible for training and its transfer. This would provide a stronger test of the accountability hypothesis. It would also be worthwhile to study the type of evaluation/assessment mechanism that would be more appropriate for training transfer. Practical implications Organisations should take care of these organisational factors for increasing the transfer of training at the workplace. Organisations can have better control over these factors compared to individual-related variables. Future research studies may also look at the role of evaluation/assessment feedback in training transfer. Finally, the mediating or moderating role of some of the organisational factors can also be considered for future research work. Originality/value This study is an attempt to add value to the present literature on training transfer by focusing on organisational factors. Most factors studied were neglected by previous research studies. Hence, this is a moderate attempt to add to the transfer of training literature.

Human Resource Management (HRM) is a process of procuring, developing, maintaining and controlling competent human resource in the organisation so that the organisational goals are achieved in an effective manner. HRM has undergone tremendous change in its functions over the past 20-30 years. Many years ago, large organisations looked at the “Personnel Department,” mostly to manage the paperwork around hiring and paying people. But more recently, organisations consider the major role of HR Department as staffing, training and helping to manage people so that people and the organisation perform at the highest level of their capacity. The modern HRM views manpower as resource and asset of the organisation rather than just considering it burden on the resources. Usually large national and international businesses utilise these services due to their multidimensional operations and sizable employment. Small businesses carry out these activities by themselves to save cost associated with full-or part time help. However, they generally ensure that employees have—and are aware of— personnel policies conform to prevailing regulations. These policies are developed by the HRM professionals in the form of employee manuals and handbooks.

Purpose – Construction organisations are becoming increasingly aware of the impacts of their operations, from both an environmental and, more recently, a social viewpoint. Sustainability standards can enable an organisation to evidence a benchmarked level of performance against a particular issue. To date, research on standards has largely focused on the operational and administrative aspects of their enactment, rather than how they might affect – and be appropriated by – organisational actors. The purpose of this paper is to examine how capacity for learning can affect the success of implementing standards within two construction SMEs. Design/methodology/approach – Taking an organisational learning and absorptive capacity (ACAP) perspective, this research uses the case study approach and abductive logic to understand what role learning plays with regard to sustainability standard implementation. Findings – The results reveal that strong communication channels and commitment to training programmes increase the capacity for implementing standards, but that SMEs tend only to approach standards if they see immediate financial benefits stemming from their implementation. Practical implications – SMEs provide a challenging context for the implementation of sustainability standards unless there are significant external levers and extrinsic motivation for them to be embraced. Care should be taken in incorporating these aspects into the future design of standards that are more aligned with SME needs. Social implications – Stakeholders should seek to apply pressure to firms to positively influence engagement with sustainability standards. Originality/value – The role and importance of ACAP is an underdeveloped debate in the certification field. This study is the first that links the process of implementing a standard with the ACAP of an organisation.

Training in modern farming methods enables farm households in developing countries to improve agricultural productivity. Notwithstanding the efforts of governmental and non-governmental organisations to provide farmers with agricultural training, productivity remains low. The existing literature provides little empirical evidence of the effect of training on agricultural productivity in Ghana. This study therefore seeks to bridge this gap by investigating small scale rice farmers’ participation in agricultural training programmes and its effect on productivity in northern Ghana. A treatment effect model was used to account for sample selection bias. The results indicated that participation in training increased with the number of extension visits, group membership, access to credit and the degree of specialisation in rice production. Furthermore, total output and labour productivity both increased with participation in training but the relationship with land productivity (yield) was insignificant. On average, participation in training was associated with 797kg increase in rice output, while labour productivity increased by 7.3kg/man-day. With the exception of farm capital, all the production inputs had a positively significant relationship with output suggesting sub-optimal use of capital in production. The study concludes that farmers’ training needs are not adequately being met while inadequate capital is constraining farm output. Increasing access to extension service and involving farmer-based organisations in the design and implementation of training programmes will enhance participation and farm performance. JEL Classification: C21, D24, Q12

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the perception of corruption across Europe, Middle East and Africa across a small population of Compliance employees within a global organisation. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey consisting of 18 open and closed style questions and those using the Likert scale to measure perceptions was used in this research. Some of the questions were designed to enable supporting commentary to be provided. Findings – This paper has only compounded the general published view of non-governmental organisations and academics that corruption is real and widespread and affects society, irrespective of age, culture or geographic location. Research limitations/implications – This study was targeted at a Compliance function within one organisation. Even though all the respondents would have had the same training, their perception might not be the same as individuals in the same country who were not employed within the same organisation. Practical implications – This may benefit companies from a training perspective, as it demonstrates the variety of opinions that exist within one organisation. It may also be of interest to organisations such as Transparency International, who conduct periodic research into the perception of corruption. Social implications – This research highlights the differences of opinion just within one organisation and thereby demonstrates the difficulties faced in tackling corruption. Originality/value – As this research was conducted from an internal perspective within one organization, it provides a unique insight into the views and opinions of employees across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

PurposeThis paper seeks to address the importance of knowledge production and capabilities for the construction industry; and the implications of the challenges associated with their effective exploitation for the construction industry in China.Design/methodology/approachA thorough review of extant literature and 31 detailed semi‐structured interviews with practitioners from 14 large, medium and small organisations in the UK construction industry. Content analysis was adopted as the analytical approach.FindingsThe main triggers of knowledge production in the construction industry are: the need to effectively deal with complex projects; the effective use of new, innovative building materials, systems, services; managing change (both project change and organisational change); coping with the uniqueness of projects; and managing team member interfaces (e.g. consultant‐contractor). Knowledge production is a complex process which can occur through a number of ways (e.g. formal research, reflective practice, transformation and combination of existing knowledge). Organisational culture influences knowledge production both positively and negatively.Originality/valueThis paper addresses the main ways in which knowledge production can benefit construction organisations and can impact positively to organisational innovations. It addresses the role of leadership and culture in knowledge production in organisations. Skilled and competent workforce is key in knowledge production, especially in addressing problem‐solving situations. Appropriate and focused training programmes (e.g. continuing professional development events, other short courses, in‐house programmes‐mentoring, coaching, and job rotation) are important in stimulating approaches for improved knowledge production in organisations. As shortages of skilled personnel are rife in construction in China, organisations need to take the issue of knowledge production more seriously.

This article examines the experiences of volunteers serving as board members in small and medium-sized voluntary organisations (VOs) in England. It considers the ways in which policy developments, including the outsourcing of public service delivery and austerity programmes, are impacting on this group of volunteers. Relatively little research has considered policy change from a board member perspective, despite their key role in organisational governance. The article draws on qualitative interviews with individual board members. It shows that policy changes are contributing to an increasingly complex role for board members in small and medium-sized VOs. The policy environment impacts on board members both by driving more challenging organisational issues for the board and, in turn, by contributing to stress and a lack of confidence at an individual level. Recruitment, training and support mechanisms are not always adequate in meeting the needs of this specific group of volunteers within this context.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of short training in self‐management skills on employees' efficacious beliefs and skills across cultures.Design/methodology/approachA longitudinal pre‐post field investigation repeated measures analysis is used to compare the effectiveness of the self‐management training between employees from Australia (individualistic country) and Kenya (collectivistic country).FindingsThe results suggest that there is a significant improvement in the learning of skills and efficacious beliefs post‐training (24 weeks). However, there are no significant differences in improvement between the two cultures and the training is similarly effective in both cultures.Research limitations/implicationsTraining focus is based on previous research that is primarily individual focused and further studies need to explore the training ethos. The assessments are developed for the study and need further examination to test their reliability and validity in other contexts. The individualistic and collectivistic criteria are drawn from Hofstede's work and may need further investigation as Hofstede's sample size of the Kenyan population is small. Finally, the results are unique to retail banking.Originality/valueThe effectiveness of this low‐cost training for enhancing employee efficacy has positive organisational outcomes, especially for those that have a multicultural workforce. It may be particularly useful for organisations in developing countries where cost is of concern.

This thesis explores the impact that small training organisations expect as a result of the introduction of quality assurance. It also explores how the culture of small training organisations affects, and is affected by, quality assurance. The current requirement for small training organisations to undertake quality assurance processes represents challenges and opportunities. However, there is little information available on the relationship between organisation culture and quality assurance in small training organisations, and therefore little guidance on implementing quality assurance in such organisations. The relationship between organisational culture and quality assurance in small organisations was examined from an interpretive approach that used both quantitative and qualitative techniques. 78 respondents from 34 separate training organisations responded to a survey comprising a questionnaire developed by the author concerning the expected impact of quality assurance, and an organisational culture instrument. The organisation culture instrument, which was adapted by the author from the Organisational Culture Diagnostic Instrument (Cameron and Ettington 1988), aimed to assess both current organisational culture, and expected organisational culture after the introduction of quality assurance. Further in-depth data were gained in focus groups held with two of training organisations surveyed. Results were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and content analyses. For most small training organisations, the opportunities provided by quality assurance, especially in providing consistency through devolved responsibility for management tasks, were perceived to outweigh the short-term problems, especially resource issues and frustration with inconsistent external requirements. Change for the most part was perceived to be at the level of procedure and formal policy, rather than at the level of underlying values or philosophy. The organisations tended to have flexible cultures ('Clans' and 'Adhocracies' - Cameron and Ellington 1988), and expected to become more predictable ('Hierarchies' and 'Markets' - ibid) after the introduction of quality assurance. However, there were variable paradoxical effects in relation to the impact of quality assurance on organisational culture. The study identifies some key issues for those implementing and/or designing quality assurance systems in small training organisations and suggests that, in comparison with large organisations, more attention needs to be given to technical and resource issues than to changes in orientation or values. The study identifies a number of complexities in the relationships between different aspects of organisational culture, between organisational profile and expected impact, and between expected and actual impact. Further research on these complexities is suggested.

This study examines the influence of organisational climate upon training effectiveness, and to a lesser extent, considers the impact of organisational climate upon business performance. This impact will be considered in relation to the results of employees' training, as assessed by themselves and by supervisors and managers of the firms concerned in the Minas Gerais state of Brazil, the third most important economic region in the southeast part of Brazil. In addition, this study also examines the relationship between training effectiveness and business performance, as assessed by managers and deputy managers. A survey was undertaken with forty-five small and medium-sized metal, pharmaceutical and electronic firms and a total of 225 workers, 90 supervisors and managers were interviewed for this study. Based on the correlational analysis performed, the results of this research indicate that a favourable and positive organisational climate as perceived by workers, does account for training effectiveness, in terms of results of workers' training, as assessed by themselves, supervisors and managers alike. Also, the findings of the research indicate that a favourable and positive organisational clImate greatly accounts for business performance, as assessed by managers only. Finally, the study concludes that training effectiveness and business performance are related, but not as strongly as it could be expected. The area covered in the survey was the capital city of the Minas Gerais state, Belo Horizonte; the industrial city of Contagein, the second most important city in economic terms near Belo Horizonte, and finally, the industrial cities of Itauna and Divinopolis, in the southwest part of the Minas Gerais state. The study raises a number of practical issues: firstly, at the level of national Training Policies, the Brazilian Government might like to re-direct its training policies and strategies, in terms of the effectiveness of training courses/programmes; secondly, at an organisation level, the managers and entrepreneurs need to give more emphasis to organisational climate; thirdly, at the level of the workforce, the employees of the industry need to be more aware of the benefits of a positive organisational climate within the firms in which they work. Finally, at the level of researchers and writers, this study gives an opportunity to either replicate the conclusions reached or to widen the field by doing further studies in this area.

Thesis (MTech(Human Resource Management)-- Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011
While the relationship between training and organisational commitment has to some extent been widely researched, most of the information available in literature is based on studies done in western countries. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the research variables of employee perceptions of training (measured by perceived availability of training, perceived supervisor support for training and perceived co-worker support for training) and organisational commitment (measured by affective and continuance commitment) an their impact on turnover intentions among employees of SMMEs within the hotel sector of the Cape Metropole area of the Western Cape Province of South Africa.A quantitative descriptive approach to research was adopted through the use of survey questionnaire to elicit relevant information from the respondents. In the absence of a sample frame (comprising only small hotels within the Cape Metropole area) and in order to meet the criteria laid down by the National Business Act for small business, non-probability judgemental sampling was deemed appropriate and was used to identify 10 SMME hotels to participate in this study. A total 127 respondents were drawn from across the 10 hotels. The research variables were measured using validated instruments from prior studies.

L’Histoire des écoles d’horlogerie de Besançon est inhérente à la naissance et à la continuité d’une industrie spécifique très localisée sur un territoire. Avec elles nous partons de l’ère « proto-industrielle » qui plonge ses racines dans les idéaux révolutionnaires de 1793 pour aboutir aux bouleversements technologiques de l’électronique et du « quartz » des années 1970… S’inscrivant sur la longue durée, trois « écoles » vont se succéder. Pour répondre aux attentes d’une industrie horlogère qui doit constamment faire face aux évolutions techniques, chacune à sa manière, va innover pour constituer un « corpus » original de formation qui n’est pas sans bousculer les rites et usages du temps. Si les deux premières « écoles » eurent une durée de vie limitée, la dernière entité, née en 1861 de la volonté municipale, va pendant plus d’un siècle, accompagner toute une ville (et sa région) dans sa réussite industrielle. Dès sa création, et au fur et à mesure des adaptations qu’elle a su mettre en place, par la qualité et la spécificité des formations dispensées, elle va irriguer de ses élèves toute une industrie toujours à l’affût de personnels qualifiés. Au plan national elle va diffuser le nom de Besançon comme « capitale française de l’horlogerie » en formant nombre d’horlogers-rhabilleurs tenant boutiques et autres ateliers de réparation par tout le territoire… Elle va servir de référence pour implanter dans la Cité des laboratoires de recherche et d’enseignement supérieur : un Observatoire chronométrique, une École d’ingénieurs, un Centre d’études horlogères et de développement industriel (Cétéhor)… Elle va contribuer à la diversification industrielle de la ville dans des domaines connexes à l’horlogerie, notamment dans le découpage, la micromécanique, l’appareillage et les microtechniques… Nationalisée en 1891, elle fait dès lors partie de la petite élite des Écoles Nationales Professionnelles (par assimilation), qui vont marquer le développement industriel du Pays. En 1933, quand elle intègre ses nouveaux locaux, par le nombre et l’originalité de ses filières (de l’ouvrier qualifié à l’ingénieur), par sa dotation en matériels modernes, elle est signalée comme étant le « premier établissement de l’enseignement technique » en France. Le cheminement de cette dernière école fait aussi ressortir une histoire « humaine », « prosopographique », qui met en exergue les nombreux anciens élèves qui se sont lancés avec grande réussite dans la création d’entreprises. Restés fidèles à leur école, ils ont contribué au renom et au développement de la richesse économique de la cité et de sa région… Avec ces écoles d’horlogerie, on aborde enfin l’histoire de l’Enseignement Technique en France. Pour répondre à la demande d’une industrie horlogère en pleine croissance qui déplorait les carences de l’apprentissage en atelier, elles ont été pionnières en ouvrant la voie de « la scolarisation » de la formation professionnelle. Par leurs innovations pédagogiques, et soutenues par les Anciens Élèves, elles ont su établir un lien « École-Entreprise » des plus fructueux qui marque encore la mémoire collective des Bisontins…En 1974 elle perd toute référence à l’horlogerie pour devenir le Lycée Jules Haag. Le temps de l’histoire est désormais advenu pour tenter de comprendre ce qui a fait la force et la réussite de ces « Écoles d’horlogerie » dans leur participation active, sur la durée, à la prospérité économique et industrielle d’une ville et de sa région…
The history of the watchmaking schools in Besançon is part of the birth and continuous development of a specific industry in a very limited sector of the French territory. When studying those schools we start at the « protoindustrial » time with its roots in the revolutionary ideals of 1793 and end up with the technological upheavals of electronics and the « quartz » technology in the 1970s. Three « schools » followed one another over the long term. Each school aimed at satisfying the demands of a watchmakng industry confronted to rapidly changing technical evolutions ; so it innovated in its own way by creating an original « corpus » in the students training and most of the time upset the practices and common ideas of the time. If the first two « schools » had a limited lifespan, the last one created in 1861 by the town council itself has been supporting the industrial growth of the city and the surrounding region. Since its foundation it has stuck to the industrial reality by placing the emphasis on high standards and opening new specific branches whenever necessary, thus answering the needs of firms always looking for highly qualified staff. For a large number of French people Besançon became the « capital town of the watchmaking industry » thanks to the shops or repair workshops kept by Besançon-trained former students all over France… It served as a background to set up research and university laboratories in the city : Observatoire Chronométrique, Ecole d’Ingénieurs, Centre d’Etudes Horlogères et de Développement Industriel (Cétéhor)… It contributed to the industrial diversification of the town in fields related to watchmaking such as mechanical cutting, micromechanics, equipment and microtechniques. It was nationalized in 1891 and then belonged to the very small elite goup of the Professional National Schools that influenced the future industrial development of the country. In 1933 it moved into sparkling-new premises and was acknowledged as the flagship of technical education in France : it offered a large number of innovating courses ranging from the skilled worker to the engineer and was granted the latest equipments in every field. The path of this new school also enhanced a « humane » and « prosopographical » history ; it highlighted the part played by the numerous former students who created their own successful businesses. Being faithful to their old school they contributed to the renown and economic growth and prosperity of the city and its region… Beyond the local impact we must regard the history of the watchmaking schools as an important part of the history of Technical Education in France. To meet the needs of a soaring watchmaking industry they opened the way to the transfer of professional training from apprenticeship in workshops with its observed shortcomings to education in technical high schools. Their pedagogical innovations, the strong support of their former students created a vital school-business link that still lives on in the collective memory of the town inhabitants.In 1974 its name changed to Lycée Jules Haag thus losing any reference to watchmaking. Let us now try and understand the strong influence and success of those watchmaking schools, the active part they played in the economic industrial prosperity of a town and its surrounding region…

Diese Arbeit bietet eine solide theoretische Grundlage zu Philanthropie und religiös motivierten Spendenaktivitäten und deren Einfluss auf Wohltätigkeitstrends, Entwicklungszusammenarbeit und einer auf dem Gedanken der sozialen Gerechtigkeit beruhenden Philanthropie. Untersucht werden dafür die Strukturen religiös motivierte Spenden, für die in der islamischen Tradition die Begriffe „zakat“, „Waqf“ oder im Plural auch „awqaf-“ oder „Sadaqa“ verwendet werden, der christliche Begriff dafür lautet „tithes“ oder „ushour“. Aufbauend auf diesem theoretischen Rahmenwerk analysiert die qualitative und quantitative Feldstudie auf nationaler Ebene, wie die ägyptische Öffentlichkeit Philanthropie, soziale Gerechtigkeit, Menschenrechte, Spenden, Freiwilligenarbeit und andere Konzepte des zivilgesellschaftlichen Engagements wahrnimmt. Um eine umfassende und repräsentative Datengrundlage zu erhalten, wurden 2000 Haushalte, 200 zivilgesellschaftliche Organisationen erfasst, sowie Spender, Empfänger, religiöse Wohltäter und andere Akteure interviewt. Die so gewonnen Erkenntnisse lassen aussagekräftige Aufschlüsse über philanthropische Trends zu. Erstmals wird so auch eine finanzielle Einschätzung und Bewertung der Aktivitäten im lokalen Wohltätigkeitsbereich möglich, die sich auf mehr als eine Billion US-Dollar beziffern lassen. Die Erhebung weist nach, dass gemessen an den Pro-Kopf-Aufwendungen die privaten Spendenaktivitäten weitaus wichtiger sind als auswärtige wirtschaftliche Hilfe für Ägypten. Das wiederum lässt Rückschlüsse zu, welche Bedeutung lokale Wohltätigkeit erlangen kann, wenn sie richtig gesteuert wird und nicht wie bislang oft im Teufelskreis von ad-hoc-Spenden oder Hilfen von Privatperson an Privatperson gefangen ist. Die Studie stellt außerdem eine Verbindung her zwischen lokalen Wohltätigkeits-Mechanismen, die meist auf religiösen und kulturellen Werten beruhen, und modernen Strukturen, wie etwa Gemeinde-Stiftungen oder Gemeinde-„waqf“, innerhalb derer die Spenden eine nachhaltige Veränderung bewirken können. Daher bietet diese Arbeit also eine umfassende wissenschaftliche Grundlage, die nicht nur ein besseres Verständnis, sondern auch den nachhaltiger Aus- und Aufbau lokaler Wohltätigkeitsstrukturen in Ägypten ermöglicht. Zentral ist dabei vor allem die Rolle lokaler, individueller Spenden, die beispielsweise für Stiftungen auf der Gemeindeebene eingesetzt, wesentlich zu einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung beitragen könnten – und das nicht nur in Ägypten, sondern in der gesamten arabischen Region. Als konkretes Ergebnis dieser Arbeit, wurde ein innovatives Modell entwickelt, dass neben den wissenschaftlichen Daten das Konzept der „waqf“ berücksichtigt. Der Wissenschaftlerin und einem engagierten Vorstand ist es auf dieser Grundlage gelungen, die Waqfeyat al Maadi Community Foundation (WMCF) zu gründen, die nicht nur ein Modell für eine Bürgerstiftung ist, sondern auch das tradierte Konzept der „waqf“ als praktikable und verbürgte Wohlstätigkeitsstruktur sinnvoll weiterentwickelt.
This work provides a solid theoretical base on philanthropy, religious giving (Islamic zakat, ‘ushour, Waqf -plural: awqaf-, Sadaqa and Christian tithes or ‘ushour), and their implications on giving trends, development work, social justice philanthropy. The field study (quantitative and qualitative) that supports the theoretical framework reflects at a national level the Egyptian public’s perceptions on philanthropy, social justice, human rights, giving and volunteering and other concepts that determine the peoples’ civic engagement. The statistics cover 2000 households, 200 Civil Society Organizations distributed all over Egypt and interviews donors, recipients, religious people and other stakeholders. The numbers reflect philanthropic trends and for the first time provide a monetary estimate of local philanthropy of over USD 1 Billion annually. The survey proves that the per capita share of philanthropy outweighs the per capita share of foreign economic assistance to Egypt, which implies the significance of local giving if properly channeled, and not as it is actually consumed in the vicious circle of ad-hoc, person to person charity. In addition, the study relates local giving mechanisms derived from religion and culture to modern actual structures, like community foundations or community waqf that could bring about sustainable change in the communities. In sum, the work provides a comprehensive scientific base to help understand- and build on local philanthropy in Egypt. It explores the role that local individual giving could play in achieving sustainable development and building a new wave of community foundations not only in Egypt but in the Arab region at large. As a tangible result of this thesis, an innovative model that revives the concept of waqf and builds on the study’s results was created by the researcher and a dedicated board of trustees who succeeded in establishing Waqfeyat al Maadi Community Foundation (WMCF) that not only introduces the community foundation model to Egypt, but revives and modernizes the waqf as a practical authentic philanthropic structure.

The book starts with an introduction to theoretical foundations of knowledge management concepts, proceeds with a series of empirical studies on the role of technology in knowledge management, followed by studies of socially orientated knowledge management solutions. The book ends with the discussion of major issues and challenges for knowledge management research and practice. With its integrated and systematic approach, the book makes a small but important step in helping individuals and organisations to get an objective and complete picture of the role of social and technical initiatives in knowledge management based on formal and sound empirical research. More importantly, the book shows that the impact of various initiatives is highly contingent upon the context in which the knowledge is generated, transferred, and used. This may help managers to choose more suitable solutions to turn their intangible assets into tangible outcomes.

The theory that enterprise has been developing along with the development of Information Technology and, especially thanks to the possibilities offered by Virtual Organisations (VO) has been presented and proven. This enterprise has both local and global effect. The enterprise development provides for an increase of both small and big organisation competitiveness and also for an opportunity for new organisational entities to enter the market. My own research on enterprise conducted in the group of economy and marketing department students have fully confirmed the conclusions resulting from D.Blanchflower’s and A.Oswald’s research on enterprise. A significant percentage of the population aim at becoming entrepreneurs (about 75% of the people with university education). The theory that VO is an effective way to become an entrepreneur and to overcome the obstacles listed in the research has been presented. The main obstacles are lack of financial resources and lack of business experience. VO not only helps in becoming an entrepreneur but also, through specially built enterprise labs, provides training opportunities and skill development for those who want to follow this particular career path.

A number of studies have found that the skills and practices of probation and parole officers, and others who supervise offenders in the community, have an impact on the recidivism rates of offenders under supervision. There is evidence to suggest, however, that evidence based practice skills are not used routinely in probation and parole supervision. The limited amount of research in this area suggests that while some probation officers may have a natural pre-disposition towards the use of effective practice skills, training and coaching may increase the level of skills of most probation officers. The studies which have been undertaken to date, however, have been done with relatively small samples rather than across whole organisations. This chapter reports on a study undertaken in Queensland Youth Justice which aimed to increase the skill levels of probation officers. It was found that the use of pro-social modelling and relationships skills increased following training and coaching, however, the use of problem solving and cognitive behavioural techniques remained low both before and after training and coaching.

There is a growing interest in social networks and the potential that exploring them brings to understanding development and change in communities. Equally, there has been, until recently, a substantial investment in community capacity building; developing the skills and knowledge of community activists to ‘grow’ their organisations and ‘scale up’ to take on public and other services. Yet, little is known about how those active in small, below the radar, community groups gain the skills, knowledge and resources they need to meet their goals and objectives, whether political or service driven. This chapter questions the assumption which has underpinned ‘capacity building’ initiatives: that skills are best developed through formal training and education and highlights the importance of networks and informality as key aspects of peer learning for community action.

Information and communication technologies have played a fundamental role in teaching and learning for many years. Technologies, such as radio and TV, were used during the 50s and 60s for delivering instructional material in audio and/or video format. More recently, the spread of computer-based educational systems has transformed the processes of teaching and learning (Squires, Conole, & Jacobs, 2000). Potential benefits to learners include richer and more effective learning resources using multimedia and a more flexible pace of learning. In the last few years, the emergence of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) have offered users a new instructional delivery system that connects learners with educational resources and has led to a tremendous growth in Web-based instruction. Web-based instruction (WBI) can be defined as using the WWW as the medium to deliver course material, manage a course (registrations, supervision, etc.), and communicate with learners. A more elaborate definition is due to Khan (1997), who defines a Web-based instructional system (WIS) as “...a hypermedia-based instructional program which utilises the attributes and resources of the World Wide Web to create a meaningful learning environment where learning is fostered and supported.” Relan and Gillani (1997) have also provided an alternative definition that incorporates pedagogical elements by considering WBI as “...the application of a repertoire of cognitively oriented instructional strategies within a constructivist and collaborative learning environment, utilising the attributes and resources of the World Wide Web.” Nowadays, WISs can take various forms depending on the aim they serve: • Distance-learning (DL) systems’ goal is providing remote access to learning resources at a reduced cost. The concept of DL (Rowntree, 1993) is based on: (i) learning alone, or in small groups, at the learner’s pace and in their own time and place, and (ii) providing active learning rather than passive with less frequent help from a teacher. • Web-based systems, such as intelligent tutoring systems (Wenger, 1987), educational hypermedia, games and simulators (Granlund, Berglund, & Eriksson, 2000), aim at improving the learning experience by offering a high level of interactivity and exploratory activities, but require a significant amount of time for development. The inherent interactivity of this approach leads learners to analyse material at a deeper conceptual level than would normally follow from just studying the theory and generates frequently cognitive conflicts that help learners to discover their possible misunderstandings and reconstruct their own cognitive models of the task under consideration. • Electronic books provide a convenient way to structure learning materials and reach a large market (Eklund & Brusilovsky, 1999). • Providers of training aim to offer innovative educational services to organisations for workplace training and learning, such as to supplement and support training in advance of live training, update employee skills, develop new skills.

The subject of problem-based learning can raise some surprisingly strong emotions, both in terms of the right process to use and the right curriculum model. For example, on the PBL Initiative Web site (director, Howard Barrows, n.d.), the minimum essentials for PBL are stated, and include: “Problem-based learning should not occur within a single discipline or subject.” Specifically for medical education, the recommendations are further specified: Problem-based learning must be the pedagogical base in the curriculum and not part of a didactic curriculum. Problem-based learning should not be episodic, added on to or mixed in with more traditional, didactic, teacher-directed, passive, memorization-based and lecture-based educational methods. (PBL Initiative) This requires a large-scale intervention, obtaining commitment, collaboration, and consensus from staff in multiple subject areas, followed by much planning and training. It can be quite discouraging for a teacher who can see many benefits in the PBL approach and would like to try out PBL “in the small.” While there are numerous benefits for implementing PBL throughout a curriculum—we will discuss in more depth later in the chapter—there is an alternative view of PBL as a pedagogical approach, one that can be applied at several levels, from a single session to a fully integrated curriculum. Ranald Macdonald (2001) puts it like this: So, what is the big deal with PBL? For me it’s nothing more nor less than the fact that problems, tasks, queries (Boud, 1995), or the every day necessity to learn to meet unexpected situations, form the starting point for learning. The real motivation for using it, whatever ‘it’ is, is a desire to improve the quality of student learning and to prepare students for future learning needs by giving them greater responsibility for their own learning now. As such, it doesn’t matter whether we adopt PBL across a whole programme, within a single subject, or as the basis for a single learning experience. It is the intention to provide a need to acquire knowledge, develop skills, or demonstrate applied understanding that is the starting point for PBL. In this chapter, we will explore some of the curriculum and organizational issues of implementing PBL, both “in the small,” that is at a module level, and “in the large,” throughout the curriculum.

Using a case-study approach, this chapter aims to assess the development issues for e-business within small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in differing regions across the UK. The research documents the issues faced by three SMEs as they have embarked upon an e-business delivery. All of the case studies are SMEs that come from different industry sectors, but all have established an e-commerce service in the last 18 months. Our definition of e-commerce aligns with those principles set out by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) working party on Indicators for the Information Society WPIIS. The outcome is an evaluation and discussion of the underlying factors influencing each company’s progress within a regional UK framework. Issues raised in the study include lack of training and awareness in SMEs, the need for government-funded initiatives, reliance on personal networks, and a lack of clarity about funding sources and schemes.

With the demand for increased availability and a higher level of safety, the defence industry is faced with reducing operational and maintenance budgets. Additional focus on acquisition programmes is being placed on through-life requirements, with demonstration and assurances sought early in the life cycle that these requirements can be achieved. Generic approaches to availability, cost and safety modelling are being re-examined, with a push to provide a universal view across both the submarine life-cycle and the support enterprise. The role of a support solution is to ensure continuous understanding of the platform material state, thereby maintaining operational readiness, and to do so in a safe and cost effective manner. Despite the fact that the mission only represents a portion of the life of a platform, traditional availability studies have tended to focus on the performance in this state, thus neglecting the impact that standby and maintenance periods may have. This paper looks beyond the inherent design characteristics of a platform and towards the other enterprise factors that may affect availability, with a view to modelling and quantifying the impact these influences may have on overall platform availability. A collaborative approach is described, with data being drawn from a number of organisations at various maturity levels and integrated into a cohesive, class level model. Targets are derived and reports produced that enable interrogation of driving factors down to a low level of granularity across multiple areas, including material failure modes, training provision, facilities, infrastructure and technical publications. Modelling and simulation has been used in order to forecast the ability of a product to meet availability, safety and cost requirements when operated in a defined usage and upkeep cycle. These predictions, performed as early in the design phase as possible, enable the macro effects of small design changes to be assessed and feedback given into design teams. As the design phase progresses, outputs are used to optimise decisions made in the support solution design against constraints in the platform design – with the ultimate aim of maximizing capability whilst working within greater financial constraints. The development of this process and model is intended to provide increased confidence that an available, safe and affordable platform will be delivered.

Emergency Relief (ER) is a Department of Social Services (DSS) funded program, delivered by 197 community organisations (ER Providers) across Australia, to assist people facing a financial crisis with financial/material aid and referrals to other support programs. ER has been playing this important role in Australian communities since 1979. Without ER, more people living in Australia who experience a financial crisis might face further harm such as crippling debt or homelessness. The Emergency Relief National Coordination Group (NCG) was established in April 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to advise the Minister for Families and Social Services on the implementation of ER. To inform its advice to the Minister, the NCG partnered with the Institute for Governance at the University of Canberra to conduct research to understand the issues and challenges faced by ER Providers and Service Users in local contexts across Australia. The research involved a desktop review of the existing literature on ER service provision, a large survey which all Commonwealth ER Providers were invited to participate in (and 122 responses were received), interviews with a purposive sample of 18 ER Providers, and the development of a program logic and theory of change for the Commonwealth ER program to assess progress. The surveys and interviews focussed on ER Provider perceptions of the strengths, weaknesses, future challenges, and areas of improvement for current ER provision. The trend of increasing case complexity, the effectiveness of ER service delivery models in achieving outcomes for Service Users, and the significance of volunteering in the sector were investigated. Separately, an evaluation of the performance of the NCG was conducted and a summary of the evaluation is provided as an appendix to this report. Several themes emerged from the review of the existing literature such as service delivery shortcomings in dealing with case complexity, the effectiveness of case management, and repeat requests for service. Interviews with ER workers and Service Users found that an uplift in workforce capability was required to deal with increasing case complexity, leading to recommendations for more training and service standards. Several service evaluations found that ER delivered with case management led to high Service User satisfaction, played an integral role in transforming the lives of people with complex needs, and lowered repeat requests for service. A large longitudinal quantitative study revealed that more time spent with participants substantially decreased the number of repeat requests for service; and, given that repeat requests for service can be an indicator of entrenched poverty, not accessing further services is likely to suggest improvement. The interviews identified the main strengths of ER to be the rapid response and flexible use of funds to stabilise crisis situations and connect people to other supports through strong local networks. Service Users trusted the system because of these strengths, and ER was often an access point to holistic support. There were three main weaknesses identified. First, funding contracts were too short and did not cover the full costs of the program—in particular, case management for complex cases. Second, many Service Users were dependent on ER which was inconsistent with the definition and intent of the program. Third, there was inconsistency in the level of service received by Service Users in different geographic locations. These weaknesses can be improved upon with a joined-up approach featuring co-design and collaborative governance, leading to the successful commissioning of social services. The survey confirmed that volunteers were significant for ER, making up 92% of all workers and 51% of all hours worked in respondent ER programs. Of the 122 respondents, volunteers amounted to 554 full-time equivalents, a contribution valued at $39.4 million. In total there were 8,316 volunteers working in the 122 respondent ER programs. The sector can support and upskill these volunteers (and employees in addition) by developing scalable training solutions such as online training modules, updating ER service standards, and engaging in collaborative learning arrangements where large and small ER Providers share resources. More engagement with peak bodies such as Volunteering Australia might also assist the sector to improve the focus on volunteer engagement. Integrated services achieve better outcomes for complex ER cases—97% of survey respondents either agreed or strongly agreed this was the case. The research identified the dimensions of service integration most relevant to ER Providers to be case management, referrals, the breadth of services offered internally, co-location with interrelated service providers, an established network of support, workforce capability, and Service User engagement. Providers can individually focus on increasing the level of service integration for their ER program to improve their ability to deal with complex cases, which are clearly on the rise. At the system level, a more joined-up approach can also improve service integration across Australia. The key dimensions of this finding are discussed next in more detail. Case management is key for achieving Service User outcomes for complex cases—89% of survey respondents either agreed or strongly agreed this was the case. Interviewees most frequently said they would provide more case management if they could change their service model. Case management allows for more time spent with the Service User, follow up with referral partners, and a higher level of expertise in service delivery to support complex cases. Of course, it is a costly model and not currently funded for all Service Users through ER. Where case management is not available as part of ER, it might be available through a related service that is part of a network of support. Where possible, ER Providers should facilitate access to case management for Service Users who would benefit. At a system level, ER models with a greater component of case management could be implemented as test cases. Referral systems are also key for achieving Service User outcomes, which is reflected in the ER Program Logic presented on page 31. The survey and interview data show that referrals within an integrated service (internal) or in a service hub (co-located) are most effective. Where this is not possible, warm referrals within a trusted network of support are more effective than cold referrals leading to higher take-up and beneficial Service User outcomes. However, cold referrals are most common, pointing to a weakness in ER referral systems. This is because ER Providers do not operate or co-locate with interrelated services in many cases, nor do they have the case management capacity to provide warm referrals in many other cases. For mental illness support, which interviewees identified as one of the most difficult issues to deal with, ER Providers offer an integrated service only 23% of the time, warm referrals 34% of the time, and cold referrals 43% of the time. A focus on referral systems at the individual ER Provider level, and system level through a joined-up approach, might lead to better outcomes for Service Users. The program logic and theory of change for ER have been documented with input from the research findings and included in Section 4.3 on page 31. These show that ER helps people facing a financial crisis to meet their immediate needs, avoid further harm, and access a path to recovery. The research demonstrates that ER is fundamental to supporting vulnerable people in Australia and should therefore continue to be funded by government.