Conceptual Lens Research Articles

Critiquing the sacred and the profane in higher education

This paper sets the stage for an examination of ‘critiquing the sacred and profane in higher education,’ outlining the motivation for exploring collective contribution to the field of higher education studies. Specifically, this paper states that the taken-for-granted concepts that frame academic praxis serve as conceptual lenses to critically evaluate how the academy’s principles and practices are formed and reconstructed over time and across contexts. Paying attention to what is considered sacred (and by whom) and, conversely, what is considered profane reveals a story of what and who is valued and the histories, discourse, and power relations that inform these differential notions of ‘sacredness’. The articles within this special issue collectively illuminate the inherent ambiguity of academic concepts, showcasing their diverse interpretations and the significant implications these hold for higher education practices across different contexts, inviting readers to engage with the complexities and nuances that shape the field.

Taiwan inside‐out: Rescaling colonial constructions of Taiwan through a Tayal‐focused lens

AbstractThis research deals with issues of Indigeneity and autonomy in Taiwan by notionally turning things inside‐out. We aim to contextualise international geopolitics and local polity by considering the Tayal people, one of 16 nationally recognised Indigenous groups living in northern Taiwan. We reject the conventional geopolitical lens of Great Power claims as the only and best way to understand contemporary Taiwan and chooses to refocus and rescale the geopolitical lens. We seek to reconsider Taiwan’s history, geography, and territory by reference to the conceptual lenses that apply to Tayal peoples’ experiences. The research methods employed include geographical fieldwork, literature reviews, and archival studies. The research acknowledges Tayal people’s custodianship over their territory and provides an in‐depth discussion on the colonial history and geography of Taiwan. In the process, we unsettle what is taken‐for‐granted and rescale erasure, violence, and resistance in Indigenous Taiwan. In building a Tayal‐centred positionality, we reframe geopolitical dynamics as connections within territories and across boundaries rather than as disputes over deeply contested boundaries. Neither Tayal people nor other Indigenous peoples in Taiwan ever ceded their sovereignty. Regardless of any broader geopolitics shifts, Tayal territory remains just the way it always has—Tayal territory.

Understanding Bangladesh's security governance through peacekeeping assemblage: does contribution matter?

Abstract How do international peacekeeping experiences inform the security governance of contributing states from the global South? This article advances theoretical and policy arguments that international peacekeeping exposure contributes to forming multitudes of effects on domestic security affairs and shaping the contributing countries' security governance. The analysis problematizes the transformation of norms, policies, practices and institutional approaches in shaping the national security outlook of the contributing nations. Considering peacekeeping as a discursive ‘glo-cal’ affair and Bangladesh as a critical case, this study underscores how Bangladesh's contributions to United Nations Peace Support Operations (UNPSOs) inform its security governance. The article adopts a qualitative–interpretive approach to examine the assembling effects of Bangladesh's participation in such endeavours. It highlights the transformation in security institutions, new capacities in knowledge and income-generating sectors, new peacekeeping norms, and partnerships in security cooperation as the cornerstones in the national security outlook. Extending the purview of the existing literature on contributors' roles and impact, this article has offered assemblage as a dynamic conceptual lens to understand new domestic significance for the armed forces as global peace providers. Challenges related to the struggle for democracy, political stability and good governance persist in Bangladesh; nevertheless, the peacekeeping assemblage explains how the country has considered accelerating its global peace endeavours.

Parental Allyship for Children With Dyslexia: A Conceptual Lens on Disability Experience

Parental Allyship for Children With Dyslexia: A Conceptual Lens on Disability Experience

Nonnil-FP-injective and nonnil-FP-projective dimensions and nonnil-semihereditary rings

In this paper, we introduce the concept of nonnil-FP-injective dimension for both modules and rings. We explore the characterization of strongly ϕ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\phi $$\\end{document}-rings that have a nonnil-FP-injective dimension of at most one. We demonstrate that, for a nonnil-coherent, strongly ϕ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\phi $$\\end{document}-ring R, the nonnil-FP-injective dimension of R corresponds to the supremum of the ϕ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\phi $$\\end{document}-projective dimensions of specific families of R-modules. We also define self-nonnil-injective rings as ϕ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\phi $$\\end{document}-rings that act as nonnil semi-injective modules over themselves and establish the equivalence between a strongly ϕ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\phi $$\\end{document}-ring R being ϕ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\phi $$\\end{document}-von Neumann regular and R being both nonnil-coherent and self-nonnil semi-injective. Furthermore, we extend the notion of semihereditary rings to ϕ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\phi $$\\end{document}-rings, coining the term ‘nonnil-semihereditary’ to describe rings where every finitely generated nonnil ideal is u-ϕ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\phi $$\\end{document}-projective. We provide several characterizations of nonnil-semihereditary rings through various conceptual lenses. Our study also includes an investigation of the transfer of the nonnil-semihereditary property in trivial ring extensions. Additionally, we define the nonnil-FP-projective dimension for modules and rings, showing that for any strongly ϕ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\phi $$\\end{document}-ring, a nonnil-FP-projective dimension of zero is indicative of the ring being nonnil-Noetherian. We also ascertain that, for a strongly ϕ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\phi $$\\end{document}-ring R, its nonnil-FP-projective dimension is the supremum of the NFP-projective dimensions across different families of R-modules. Lastly, we provide numerous examples to illustrate our results.

Intersectionality as a conceptual lens for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in international business studies: newer developments from critical cross-cultural management studies and their insights for the business case

Purpose Using intersectionality and introducing newer developments from critical cross-cultural management studies, this paper aims to discuss how diversity is applicable to changing cultural contexts. Design/methodology/approach The paper is a conceptual paper built upon relevant empirical research findings from critical cross-cultural management studies. Findings By applying intersectionality as a conceptual lens, this paper underscores the practical and conceptual limitations of the business case for diversity, in particular in a culturally diverse international business (IB) setting. Introducing newer developments from critical cross-cultural management studies, the authors identify the need to investigate and manage diversity across distinct categories, and as intersecting with culture, context and power. Research limitations/implications This paper builds on previous empirical research in critical cross-cultural management studies using intersectionality as a conceptual lens and draws implications for diversity management in an IB setting from there. The authors add to the critique of the business case by showing its failures of identifying and, consequently, managing diversity, equality/equity and inclusion (DEI) in IB settings. Practical implications Organizations (e.g. MNEs) are enabled to clearly see the limitations of the business case and provided with a conceptual lens for addressing DEI issues in a more contextualized and intersectional manner. Originality/value This paper introduces intersectionality, as discussed and applied in critical cross-cultural management studies, as a conceptual lens for outlining the limitations of the business case for diversity and for promoting DEI in an IB setting in more complicated, realistic and relevant ways.

Imagining and governing artificial intelligence: the ordoliberal way—an analysis of the national strategy ‘AI made in Germany’

AbstractNational Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategies articulate imaginaries of the integration of AI into society and envision the governing of AI research, development and applications accordingly. To integrate these central aspects of national AI strategies under one coherent perspective, this paper presented an analysis of Germany’s strategy ‘AI made in Germany’ through the conceptual lens of ordoliberal political rationality. The first part of the paper analyses how the guiding vision of a human-centric AI not only adheres to ethical and legal principles consistent with Germany’s liberal democratic constitutional system but also addresses the risks and promises inherent to the ordoliberal problematization of freedom. Second, it is scrutinized how the strategy cultivates the fear of not achieving technological sovereignty in the AI sector. Thereby, it frames the global AI race as a race of competing (national) approaches to governing AI and articulates an ordoliberal approach to governing AI (the ‘third way’), according to which government has to operate between the twin dangers of governing too much and not governing enough. Third, the paper analyses how this ordoliberal proportionality of governing structures Germany’s Science Technology & Innovation Policy. It is shown that the corresponding risk-based approach of regulating AI constitutes a security apparatus as it produces an assessment of fears: weighting the fear of the failure to innovate with the fear of the ramifications of innovation. Finally, two lines of critical engagement based on this analysis are conducted.

All the better for it: Exploring one teacher-researcher's evolving efforts to promote meaningful physical education

Drawing on social constructivist learning theory and a conceptual framework for meaningful physical education (MPE), the purpose of this self-study was to present and explore how one teacher-researcher (TR) evolved their approach to implementing pedagogy promoting MPE in an alternative secondary/high school education setting. Utilizing self-study, data were collected before, during, and after twenty 75-minute lessons over 15 weeks. One critical friend interview, 20 post-teaching reflections, 18 observations, and 22 journal entries were conducted. A deductive and inductive approach utilizing the Miles, Huberman and Saldana Framework for Qualitative Data Analysis (2014) was implemented, with thematic analysis then applied. The following themes were constructed: bringing the fun; steering between sparkling and sensitive social interactions; co-creating and reconsidering challenge; monitoring movements toward motor competence; and pursuing personal relevance in physical activity. Findings demonstrate the TR's explicit and intentional efforts to better implement the concept of MPE within their planning and pedagogy to develop a better understanding of what this looked like in practice and the role each feature played in teaching and learning. Utilizing and promoting democratic and reflective practices led the TR to consider and apply these features more frequently and readily to better teach knowledge, attitudes, and skills to their students through the conceptual lens of MPE. The experiences presented and discussed demonstrate the benefit of doing so not just for the TR's evolving approach to teaching and learning in physical education, but indeed for the learning of their students, researchers, and other practitioners too.

“It is more than the average parent goes through”: using the experiences of Australian parents of dyslexic children to draw a distinction between advocacy and allyship

ABSTRACT Parents of dyslexic children often take on additional parental responsibilities as they seek to ensure fair and equitable access to education for their children. Often framed as advocacy, this paper explores the ways in which the term allyship may be well placed to represent the complex primary adjacent and vicarious disability experiences parents of dyslexic children have within schools. Drawing on interviews with 10 Australian parents, this study found that parents of dyslexic children felt they took on additional responsibilities to support their children within the school context and externally. This paper contributes a conceptual lens for viewing these activities as a form of allyship, rather than traditional understandings of advocacy. Findings highlight the need for greater recognition and understanding of the extensive responsibilities assumed by parents of dyslexic children and the ways in which their allyship roles within school settings can impact them.

The entrepreneurial university concept as a narrative of change in HEIs

ABSTRACT The literature on entrepreneurial universities has grown exponentially over the past three decades. Concomitantly, the meanings attached to the terminology of entrepreneurial universities has proliferated, creating confusion amongst users. To fill this gap, an inductive analysis of entrepreneurial university conceptualisations from the term's first introduction to the literature in 1983–2021 was conducted. The results showed that, although conceptualisation approaches widely differed in their focus, normative appraisal, scope, and level of specificity, they tended to cluster around the core idea of change in higher education institutions that began to take shape in the early 1980s. The change process was found to be ongoing, context-sensitive, and contested, closely aligning with the framework of essentially contested concepts, as revised by Collier, Hidalgo, and Maciuceanu (2006, Essentially Contested Concepts: Debates and Applications. Journal of Political Ideologies 11 (3): 211–46). By showing the essentially contestedness of the entrepreneurial university concept, the current study not only offers a useful mechanism for understanding and explicating the proliferation of meanings but also interrogates the suitability of classical conceptual categorisation approaches commonly used in the entrepreneurial university literature. Furthermore, it calls for the use of flexible conceptual lenses, such as family resemblance and cluster concepts, and studies that establish a better link between the characteristics and context of entrepreneurial universities through individual and cross-case comparisons.

ATTENTION TO PROBLEMATIC SOCIAL GROUP REPRESENTATION IN GUIDANCE FOR USING MASS MEDIA IN ENGLISH EDUCATION

While media studies amply document problematic social group representation in mass media materials, how English language educators are equipped to address these issues when they engage in the common practice of appropriating such artifacts for teaching is unclear. This research responds by collecting 319 prominent Internet sources providing guidance on using mass media materials for language learning and subjecting them to a content analysis. This analysis draws upon ten forms of problematic social group portrayal in the mass media as a conceptual lens. Analysis results indicate little attention to ableism, ageism, Christonormativity, classism, colorism, gender bias, heternormativity, lookism/sizeism, racism, and urbanormativity with articles universally acclaiming the integration of mass media materials into language teaching, primarily on the grounds of “authenticity.” Defined as materials authored by and for native speakers, this is an authenticity insensitive to authentic social group representation. This research is significant because of teacher reliance on the Internet as a source of materials, because of the global reach of English language teaching, the power of mass media, especially for youth socialization, and because there is a lack of previous research concerning how language teachers are trained to consider problematic social group representation in mass media artifacts.

The Transitional Career of Mary Gurney (1836–1917): Work for the Reform of English Middle-Class Female Education at Secondary and Tertiary Levels

ABSTRACT This article presents an understanding of the context, nature and significance of Mary Gurney’s educational career during the years 1863 to 1917. It is assisted in part by the conceptual lenses of feminist thinking and network theory. Despite neglect by past historians, Gurney’s work was seen by contemporaries as equal in significance to that of leading reformers who, like her, sought equality between English middle-class male and female education at secondary and tertiary levels. The article demonstrates her career’s transitional position between that of middle-class female philanthropist and professional female during the British Victorian and Edwardian periods of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It discusses the educational consequences of Gurney’s work before and after her death, including how its effects spread to other geographical and social locations, as part of the process of assessing its value.

Clinician perspectives of the implementation of an early intervention service for eating disorders in England: a mixed method study

BackgroundThe First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED) service has been shown to reduce the wait for care and improve clinical outcomes in initial evaluations. These findings led to the national scaling of FREED in England. To support this scaling, we conducted a mixed method evaluation of the perceptions and experiences of clinicians in the early phases of scaling. The Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) was used as a conceptual lens to understand if and how FREED becomes embedded in routine practice.MethodsThe convergent mixed method evaluation included 21 semi-structured interviews with clinicians from early adopter sites and 211 surveys administered to clinicians before, immediately after and 3 months after the FREED training. The interview guide and survey included questions evaluating attitudes towards early intervention for eating disorders (EDs) and NPT mechanisms. Interview data were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis. The NPT was applied to the inductively derived themes to evaluate if and how NPT domains impacted the implementation. Survey data were analysed using multilevel growth models.ResultsSix themes and 15 subthemes captured barriers and facilitators to implementation at the patient, clinician, service, intervention, implementation and wider system levels. These interacted with the NPT mechanisms to facilitate or hinder the embedding of FREED. Overall, clinicians were enthusiastic and positive towards early intervention for EDs and FREED, largely because of the expectation of improved patient outcomes. This was a considerable driver in the uptake and implementation of FREED. Clinicians also had reservations about capacity and the potential impact on other patients, which, at times, was a barrier for its use. The FREED training led to significant improvements in positive attitudes and NPT mechanisms that were largely maintained at the 3-month follow-up. However, negative attitudes did not significantly improve following training.ConclusionsPositive attitudes towards early intervention for EDs increased enthusiasm and engagement with the model. Features of the model and its implementation were effective at developing adopter commitment and capabilities. However, there were aspects of the model and its implementation which require attention in the future (e.g., capacity and the potential impact on the wider service).

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON TOURISM MARKETING STRATEGIES AND THE ROLE OF DIGITALIZATION

Natia Surmanidze E-mail: n.surmanidze@ug.edu.ge PhD in Economics, The University of Georgia Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2116-6571   Sopiko Tevdoradze E-mail: Sofo.tevdoradze@giu.edu.ge PhD in Business Administration Georgian International University (GIU) Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1668-051X0000-0002-1668-051X   Zurab Mushkudiani E-mail: Zurab.mushkudiani@giu.edu.ge PhD in Business Administration Georgian International University (GIU) Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0987-3564   Abstract: This research explores how the global COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented obstacles for the tourist business, which have led to rapid changes in its landscape. Specifically, it looks at how tourism organizations have adopted technology and changed their marketing methods. The study examines the complex links between technology adoption, organizational dynamics, and external environmental factors using the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) paradigm as a conceptual lens. The research posits and empirically tests four hypotheses: (1) the pandemic significantly influences a shift from classical to digital marketing strategies, (2) organizational dynamics play a crucial role in the successful integration of digitization efforts, (3) external environmental factors, particularly the pandemic, shape the urgency and nature of digitization strategies, and (4) effective analysis of various indicators, feedback mechanisms, and sales metrics significantly contributes to the success of digital marketing strategies. In order to obtain valuable insights, the study uses statistical techniques such as logistic regression, multiple regression analysis, correlation evaluation, Chi-Square tests, and logistic regression that were carefully designed and distributed to eighteen tourism companies affiliated with Georgia's national tourism agency. Results highlight the paradigm shift towards digital marketing brought about by the pandemic, the critical role played by organizational dynamics, the impact of external environmental factors, and the critical importance of data-driven analysis in augmenting the effectiveness of digital marketing in the tourism industry. In order to help stakeholders in the tourism industry navigate the possibilities and difficulties provided by the post-pandemic digitally altered landscape, this research adds a nuanced understanding of the complex dynamics surrounding technology adoption, digital strategies, and organizational responses.   Keywords: Tourism digitization; COVID-19 impact; Digital marketing strategies; Organizational dynamics; Technology-Organization-Environment framework.   JEL classification: L83, Q55, O33

State abandonment and territorial citizenship in rural Colombia: Montes de María after the peace accords

AbstractDrawing on ethnographic fieldwork in Montes de María, Colombia, I examine citizen‐state relationships and experiences of the state in rural communities during the implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement between the Colombian government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas. I focus on the participatory process that led to the formulation of the Development Plans with a Territorial Focus (PDET) and their early implementation. I argue that state abandonment is a relevant conceptual lens through which to understand experiences of the state and the effects of some policies and state practices in reproducing the limited access to rights and the precarious living conditions at the heart of state interventions in rural areas. I also suggest that forms of territorial citizenship promoted by the peace accords provide opportunities to improve access to rights and contest state abandonment but also face challenges related to existing state practices and power relationships operating in rural territories. I distinguish state abandonment from state absence. By analysing how state abandonment can be produced at the heart of state interventions, this article expands anthropological debates about contemporary forms of state and social abandonment. The analysis of forms of territorial citizenship contributes to the understanding of claims‐making and participation in decision‐making structured around territory.

Interprofessional education: Building social capital among faculty. Are we there yet?

Introduction: Interprofessional education (IPE) is advocated by governments, health professional bodies and universities as key to health professional education and improvement in patient safety. Although many universities have implemented scaffolded IPE curricular models across multiple disciplines, few have reported on faculty perception of this approach. This study sought to explore faculty perception in response to a new IPE curriculum model using the theoretical lens of social capital theory. Methods: In 2021, 24 key University of Sydney Faculty of Medicine and Health (FMH) academics (from nursing, medical imaging, pharmacy, oral health, dentistry, applied science, health science, dietetics, medical science and occupational therapy) involved in the delivery of IPE were invited to participate in individual interviews. Using the conceptual lens of social capital theory, framework analysis was used to categorise themes in the data. Results: In total, 46% (n = 11) of invited FMH faculty were interviewed. Positive elements to the implementation of the curriculum model included a feeling of connectedness, recognition of a scaffolded approach to IPE integrated in existing coursework and growing interest of early career academics in IPE. However, a number of challenges were revealed, including structural barriers in course design, timetabling, misunderstanding regarding the IPE curricula and inequity in distribution of workload. Conclusion: Social capital theory provided a useful framework to consider the perceived enablers and barriers to the newly established IPE curriculum. Although the findings indicate that faculty felt positive about implementing the IPE curriculum, a number of barriers were identified, highlighting the need for increased faculty training and broader engagement in development of IPE curricula.

Comparative Analysis of VUCA and BANI Frameworks

In order to comprehend the intricacies of the modern world, two conceptual lenses—the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) and BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible) frameworks—are compared in this study.

Not “what”, but “where is creativity?”: towards a relational-materialist approach to generative AI

AbstractThe recent emergence of generative AI software as viable tools for use in the cultural and creative industries has sparked debates about the potential for “creativity” to be automated and “augmented” by algorithmic machines. Such discussions, however, begin from an ontological position, attempting to define creativity by either falling prey to universalism (i.e. “creativity is X”) or reductionism (i.e. “only humans can be truly creative” or “human creativity will be fully replaced by creative machines”). Furthermore, such an approach evades addressing the real and material impacts of AI on creative labour in these industries. This article thus offers more expansive methodological and conceptual approaches to the recent hype on generative AI. By combining (Csikszentmihalyi, The systems model of creativity, Springer, Dordrecht, 2014) systems view of creativity, in which we emphasise the shift from “what” to “where” is creativity, with (Lievrouw, Media technologies, The MIT Press, 2014) relational-materialist theory of “mediation”, we argue that the study of “creativity” in the context of generative AI must be attentive to the interactions between technologies, practices, and social arrangements. When exploring the relational space between these elements, three core concepts become pertinent: creative labour, automation, and distributed agency. Critiquing “creativity” through these conceptual lenses allows us to re-situate the use of generative AI within discourses of labour in post-industrial capitalism and brings us to a conceptualisation of creativity that privileges neither the human user nor machine algorithm but instead emphasises a relational and distributed form of agency.

Insights into 15 years of transdisciplinary research on a small Greek island

Small islands offer unique conditions for studying human-nature relations. Our study uses the real-world laboratory concept to reflect on a long-term transdisciplinary research process that aimed to facilitate a sustainability transition for an entire island.This article introduces a long-term transdisciplinary research process on the Greek island of Samothraki, aiming at sustainability solutions that are not only scientifically sound, but also co-designed, well received and adopted by the local community. We reflect on 15 years of socioecological research by utilizing the conceptual lens of real-world laboratories (RwLs). We present the research approach pursued on the island, based on a sociometabolic understanding of society-nature interaction, by relating local natural resources (and their self-regenerating capacities) to their social utilization and the resulting environmental pressures. We reflect on the research activities by using an established evaluation framework based on the three RwL principles: the “lab context”, “experiments”, and “interventions”. We describe success and setbacks by integrating, as objects of evaluation, the research process, its outputs, outcomes, and impacts. While we can certainly showcase success in terms of research design, scientific outputs, and institutional outcomes, gauging potential impacts poses a more challenging task.

Work-integrated learning in managers’ cooperative work practices

Purpose This paper aims to focus on academic library managers’ learning practices in the context of cooperative work supported by computational artefacts. Academic library managers’ everyday work is mainly cooperative. Their cooperation is supported predominantly by computational artefacts. Learning how to use the computational artefacts efficiently and effectively involves understanding the changes in everyday work that affect managers and, therefore, it requires deep understanding of their cooperative work practices. Design/methodology/approach Focused ethnography was conducted through participant observations, interviews and document analysis. Ten managers from a university library in Sweden participated in the research. A thematic method was used to analyse the empirical material. Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) and work-integrated learning was used as the conceptual lens. Findings Five learning practices were identified: collaboration, communication, coordination, decision-making processes and computational artefacts’ use. The findings show that learning is embedded in managers’ cooperative work practices, which do not necessarily include sufficient training time. Furthermore, learning was intertwined with cooperating and was situational. Managers learned by reflecting together on their own experiences and through joint cooperation and information sharing while using the computational artefacts. Originality/value The main contribution lies in providing insights into how academic library managers learn and cooperate in their everyday work, emphasizing the role of computational artefacts, the importance of the work context and the collective nature of learning. It also highlights the need for continual workplace learning in contemporary knowledge work environments. Thus, the research generates contributions to the informatics field by extending the understanding of managers’ work-integrated learning in their everyday cooperative work practices supported by computational artefacts’ use. It also contributes to the intersection of CSCW and work-integrated learning.