Practice Lens Research Articles

Employees’ perceptions on management policies and practices regarding human resources for economic efficiency in crisis period

In recent years, there has been a lack of attention to the connection between crisis management and the HR (human resources) department. However, many researchers emphasize the importance of the human resources department in crisis management. The main objective of the research is the analysis of employees' perceptions regarding measures to improve decision-making when considering the behavior of human capital in in terms of maximizing economic efficiency, as well as the analysis of human resources management through the lens of policies and practices intended for management in crisis period. The quantitative method was used to conduct a survey and the qualitative method was used through the interview. These methods were based on aspects developed in the specialized literature and adapted for this context. The results of the study show that human resources management is crucial in Romanian companies, both in a normal context and in critical situations, highlighting a strategic approach to the role of employees in organizational success.

A Response to ‘Russia’s Iron Horse and its Logistic Limitation in the Ukrainian War’

ABSTRACT This research note aims to offer an alternative viewpoint to the one given in ‘Russia’s Iron Horse and its Logistic Limitations in the Ukraine War’ by using the lens of Red Army practice during the Soviet-German War, 1941–1945. This demonstrates that although countries may be poorer and less well-resourced, nonetheless they can achieve impressive results using innovative means. It may be that the Russian Federation’s armed forces do not meet Western standards of transportation and supply levels, yet by structuring their operations in particular ways and giving their soldiers a lower standard of support, they may be more capable than first appears.

Contested imaginaries: workfinding information practices of STEM-trained immigrant women in Canada

PurposeThis pan-Canadian study examines the information practices of STEM-trained immigrant women to Canada as they navigate workfinding and workplace integration. Our study focuses on a population of highly skilled immigrant women from across Canada and uses an information practice lens to examine their lived experiences of migration and labour market integration. As highly trained STEM professionals in pursuit of employment, our participants have specific needs and challenges, and as we explore these, we consider the intersection of their information practices with government policies, settlement services and the hiring practices of STEM employers.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted a qualitative study using in-depth interviews with 74 immigrant women across 13 Canadian provinces and territories to understand the nature of their engagement with employment-seeking in STEM sectors. This article reports the findings related to the settlement and information experiences of the immigrant women as they navigate new information landscapes.FindingsAs immigrants, as women and as STEM professionals, the experiences of the 74 participants reflect both marginality and privilege. The reality of their intersectional identities is that these women may not be well-served by broader settlement resources targeting newcomers, but neither are the specific conventions of networking and job-seeking in the STEM sectors in Canada fully apparent or accessible to them. The findings also point to the broader systemic and contextual factors that participants have to navigate and that shape in a major way their workfinding journeys.Originality/valueThe findings of this pan-Canadian study have theoretical and practical implications for policy and research. Through interviews with these STEM professionals, we highlight the barriers and challenges of an under-studied category of migrants (the highly skilled and “desirable” type of immigrants). We provide a critical discussion of their settlement experiences and expose the idiosyncrasies of a system that claims to value skilled talent while structurally making it very difficult to deliver on its promises to recruit and retain highly qualified personnel. Our findings point to specific aspects of these skilled professionals’ experiences, as well as the broader systemic and contextual factors that shape their workfinding journey.

SATIRE AND ITS RHYTHM THROUGH THE LENS OF CARICATURE AND CARTOON PRACTICES IN INDIA: A REVIEW

The major key factor of modern ‘caricature’ art has been not only constricted to only the voice of society and the political domain, neither is it still subjected to newspapers, magazines and journals, banners, templates, and posters but it is legitimated to be spontaneous equally an ambiguous ‘etiology’ of art practice having its inseparable bonding through 21st century as ‘digital expression’ as well. Caricature art has always been hands-up with its impact on the human psyche or vice-versa as well and its elongated limbs hold a tremendous grip over any fragile, discursiveness, and expectation that weakens the stimulus growth of society which can never be overlooked. This research paper- ‘Satire and its Rhythm through the Lens of Caricature and Cartoon Practices in India: A Review’ fundamentally has made an attempt to showcase the study of satire through caricature and cartoon art by Five eminent artists from India and their perception of this subject.

How family business practices are created, maintained, and transformed across generations from a community of practice lens

ABSTRACT We conceptualize the family business as a community of practice to advance an understanding of how individuals involved in family businesses collectively learn about family practices and how such practices are created, maintained, and transformed across generations. We utilize an in-depth case study of an 86-year-old family business, spanning three generations, drawing upon 50 interviews, 673 archival documents, and 25 observational instances across a 14-year period. Our findings reveal how practices are transferred across generations to family and non-family members, redefining how we view ‘family business’ based on shared practices.

ILC Draft Conclusions on General Principles of Law Through the Lens of Air and Space Law Practices

ILC Draft Conclusions on General Principles of Law Through the Lens of Air and Space Law Practices

Using practice theories to understand, analyse and articulate followership in early childhood education sites

ABSTRACT This article delves into a methodological approach that challenges traditional followership and leadership research. It presents the application of Nicolini’s theory-method package, involving three tools of theory, methods, and vocabularies to articulate data. The theory-method package is a valuable tool for researchers in Australia and globally employing a practice-based approach to study work practices and educational systems. The package was used to analyse and articulate followership practices by integrating followership theories, multi-site ethnography, the theory of practice architectures and reflexive thematic analysis. Through these innovative lenses, the study provides fresh insights into how followership is practiced in early childhood settings. Notably, it challenges established leadership theories by emphasizing the multidimensional intricacies of followership practices, which extend beyond traditional leader-follower relationships. The study underscores the importance of choosing appropriate theories and methods when examining social practices within education systems. It highlights the value of adopting a practice lens to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of followership. This research both advances understandings of followership and identifies broader implications for the study of followership in educational contexts. It also highlights the need to navigate the seductive allure of theories and to embrace reflexive trepidations as part of the analytical journey.

Collaborating and distributing leading: mosaics of leading practices

A mosaic approach to leading practices leverages collaboration and makes it possible to renew the social fabric of a school. In this article, the authors use the notion of a ‘mosaic of leading practices’ to unsettle top-down, hierarchical, positional conceptions of leadership that focus on participants. The latter invites questions about participants’ responsibilities for leadership; the former invites questions about what leaders do (their practices) in and for an organisation. We report on research conducted with Aotearoa New Zealand school leaders that explored perceptions of leading practices that support or constrain communities of learning. Drawing on interviews with leaders and teachers who were working to build Communities of Learning |Kāhui Ako (CoL) in their schools and across school communities, the article re-imagines sites of collaboration by viewing them through the lens of practices, not just participants. A theoretical framework is proposed to illustrate mosaics of leading. Patterns of leadership and the concepts of connective enactment and collective accomplishment highlight different degrees of educator collaboration. The article re-imagines sites of collaboration as a means to foster a grassroots approach to culture and community building, rather than as a means for the delivery of school improvement alone.

Redefining the Fight Against White Collar Crime: a Moral and Value-centric Perspective

This article delves into the intricate nature of White Collar Crime (hereinafter, WCC for short), a subject challenging to define yet easier to understand from a practical lens. It argues that the crux of the issue lies in the moral and ethical values guiding both individual actions and societal norms. The central thesis is that while legal compliance is essential for maintaining order and administering justice, moral standards have a more profound role in effectively addressing WCC. The paper advocates for an approach that transcends traditional legal solutions, proposing the development of a comprehensive socio-economic culture grounded in elevated moral and value-based principles. This perspective offers a more holistic understanding and strategy in combatting WCC, suggesting that the solution lies not just in legal reforms but in a fundamental shift in societal values and ethics.

Lens X: A Practical Approach to Taking Care of Your People

Graduates of the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), as commissioned officers, are charged to “take care of their people.” While this leadership aphorism makes sense, this article describes what it means in practice. An interdisciplinary USAFA team explored the dynamics of leader development from multiple angles, resulting in a focus on two dimensions (or “lenses”) that help a leader understand what actions can be taken to help an employee achieve subjective well-being at work. The intent is to draw attention to the nature of the interaction with organizational members that foster engagement and need fulfillment. We do that by focusing a leader’s attention on needs, narratives, and micro-exchanges. Those interactions, behaviors, and micro-exchanges are the foundations of and the most tangible, changeable element of climate and culture. This practical lens equips any leader to seize every opportunity to foster fulfillment of the psychological needs for belonging, agency, and efficacy. This framework can be used by anyone but is particularly relevant to supervisors and USAFA cadets who will be entrusted to lead an all-volunteer military force.

Understanding decision curve analysis in clinical prediction model research.

Many medical graduate students lack a thorough understanding of decision curve analysis (DCA), a valuable tool in clinical research for evaluating diagnostic models. This article elucidates the concept and process of DCA through the lens of clinical research practices, exemplified by its application in diagnosing liver cancer using serum alpha-fetoprotein levels and radiomics indices. It covers the calculation of probability thresholds, computation of net benefits for each threshold, construction of decision curves, and comparison of decision curves from different models to identify the one offering the highest net benefit. The paper provides a detailed explanation of DCA, including the creation and comparison of decision curves, and discusses the relationship and differences between decision curves and receiver operating characteristic curves. It highlights the superiority of decision curves in supporting clinical decision-making processes. By clarifying the concept of DCA and highlighting its benefits in clinical decisionmaking, this article has improved researchers' comprehension of how DCA is applied and interpreted, thereby enhancing the quality of research in the medical field.

Exploring clinical facilitation and student learning on undergraduate nursing placements through a community of practice lens: A qualitative study

Background: High-quality clinical placement experiences are important for preparing undergraduate student nurses for practice. Clinical facilitation and support significantly impact student placement experiences and their development of skills, knowledge, and attitudes in the healthcare setting. Aim: This research aimed to explore university-employed clinical facilitators’ perspectives on providing quality clinical facilitation and student learning on placement. Design: An exploratory, descriptive research design was used to examine the perspectives of n = 10 university-employed clinical facilitators working in regional New South Wales, Australia (March 2020-December 2021). Methods: Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the experiences of a purposeful sample of university-employed clinical facilitators. Data was thematically analysed using Miles et al.'s (2014) qualitative data analysis framework. Results: Five key themes were identified 1) relationships at the core of quality, 2) a culture of commitment to student learning, 3) connection to the curriculum, 4) examining the model, and 5) empowering growth and development. Clinical facilitators perceive their role as misunderstood, undervalued, and isolating and that they require further preparation and ongoing professional development to provide quality facilitation. Building rapport and relationships with staff and students was at the core of quality clinical facilitation. Conclusions: The clinical facilitator role has an important function in preparing student nurses for practice and needs further recognition and continued professional development. Education providers and healthcare organisations need to examine strategies to provide inclusive and supportive work environments, building communities of practice for clinical facilitators and stakeholders to share their experiences and knowledge, promoting individual and group learning, thus improving the student placement experience and fostering the professional identity of clinical facilitators.

The Discriminatory Practice of Language Testing for Authenticating Citizenship: An Analysis of Operation Dudula Through a Forensic Linguistics Lens

This article utilises both the theoretical and practical lenses located in the discipline of forensic linguistics to examine the practice of administering language tests to applicants for citizenship in South Africa, considering the prevailing policies and practices in an international context, and concludes that they should be avoided. In this interdisciplinary article I outline the South African constitutional and legislative provisions affecting language testing and language proficiency when applying for citizenship in multilingual South Africa. In this paper I discuss the linkages between language, citizenship, and xenophobia, building on the work by Brits, Kaschula and Docrat on the role of language in xenophobic attacks and protests. I argue that language tests for immigrants in the South African context perpetuate Apartheid-era thinking, policies and practices. This creates linguistic inequality and contributes to racial tensions and divisions in communities rather than creating social cohesion and equality for all. The article provides a case study of Operation Dudula, where language is being used to carry out xenophobic acts under the banner of citizenship. A brief comparison is drawn with Ryanair airlines' language tests for South African citizens.

Open Educational Resources and Artificial Intelligence for Future Open Education

This article explores the intersection of open educational resources (OER) and artificial intelligence (AI), with an emphasis on open pedagogy applications. The article comprises a document analysis to summarise expert perspectives on generative AI and two open pedagogy course concepts that explore the relationship between OER and AI through a practical lens of contexts, infrastructures, and sample work products. The expert interviews were published in the open-access magazine AACE Review and were conducted by the author to capture the dynamic field of generative AI. The two course concepts offer first-hand experiences of designing and implementing student-centred, non-disposable assignments by embedding AI tools in open-access book projects.

Interbank Decisions and Margins of Stability: an Agent-Based Stock-Flow Consistent Approach

This study investigates the functioning of modern payment systems through the lens of banks' maturity mismatch practices, and it examines the effects of banks' refusal to roll over short-term interbank liabilities on financial stability. Within an agent-based stock-flow consistent framework, banks can engage in two segments of the interbank market that differ in maturity, overnight and term. We compare two interbank matching scenarios to assess how bank-specific maturity targets, dependent on the dictates of the Net Stable Funding Ratio, impact the dynamics of the interbank market and the effectiveness of conventional monetary policies. The findings reveal that maturity misalignment between deficit and surplus banks compromises the interbank market's efficiency and increases reliance on the central bank's standing facilities. Monetary policy interest-rate steering practices also become less effective. The study also uncovers a dual stability-based configuration in the banking sector, resembling the segmented European interbank structure. This paper suggests that heterogeneous maturity mismatches between surplus and deficit banks may result in asymmetric funding frictions that might precede credit- and sovereign-risk explanations of interbank tensions. Also, a combined examination of macroprudential tools and rollover-based interbank dynamics can enhance our understanding of how regulatory changes impact the stability of heterogeneous banking sectors.

Teachers’ perspectives of their development of culturally sustaining pedagogical practices: lessons for teacher learning

ABSTRACT This study explores factors that influence teachers’ development of culturally sustaining pedagogical practices. The research is guided by the question: How do teachers perceive their development of culturally sustaining pedagogical practices? Data collection occurred during the fall 2020 semester and involved five high school teachers. Given COVID-19 and the pervasiveness of online learning, interviews and observations occurred via Zoom. The data includes semi-structured interviews, fieldnotes, teaching artefacts, and questionnaires. This study found that all teachers employed dynamic support systems that significantly factored into their development as culturally sustaining educators. Due to the central role of communities of practice in participants’ development, a communities of practice model for culturally sustaining teacher development was created and illustrated in this paper. Social interaction played a significant role in developing educators’ critical stance towards teaching – demonstrating possibilities to productively relate culturally sustaining pedagogy and communities of practice for a critical communities of practice lens to teacher learning. This study suggests that a collective orientation should be central to the work of preservice and in-service teachers within teacher education programmes and PK-12 schools.

EDITORIAL: Humanizing Learning

This volume contains three articles that address the idea of humanizing online learning. learning technologies as platforms. The first by Olivia Stewart investigates work done to increase engagement and participation in an asynchronous course. The second is an implementation paper by Kam Moi Lee and her colleagues that investigated the role that online personas and journey mapping through the lens of equitable design practice. The third is a review of higher education mathematics homework and course platforms.Finally, April Burton contributed a book review of Caitlin Tucker’s recent book on Blended Learning.

Co-design communities of practice in community-based mental health and rural suicide prevention

This paper presents two case studies in mental health co-design through a community of practice lens and involving collaborators that extend the traditional binary of ‘users’ and ‘stakeholders’. The co-design was undertaken outside the service sector and oriented towards creating and producing innovative praxis and creative products in service to community-based mental health and rural suicide prevention. By inviting lived experience and creative design practitioners into a mental health co-design community of practice, the paper contends that relational engagements form the container for co-design and allow forms of ethically sensitive and creative community-based mental health design that embody therapeutic activism grounded in place.

Investigating employee proactivity and organisational innovation through the lens of leader's language and human resource practices

Investigating employee proactivity and organisational innovation through the lens of leader's language and human resource practices

Flourishing in Salsa Dance: A Qualitative Investigation of Aesthetic, Artistic, and Creative Contributions

Salsa has been referred to as the world’s most popular partnered social Latin dance and is likely health-enhancing when participated in for leisure and socialisation purposes. We are unaware of any qualitative research that has explored salsa dance, specifically, through an aesthetic, artistic, and creative practice lens. In this research, we sought to interpret how these elements of dance may contribute to a sense of flourishing, or holistic well-being, as described by Seligman (2011) in his PERMA model, in a positive psychology context. We designed an anonymous fully open-ended online qualitative survey to explore the experience of salsa as it relates to dancers’ flourishing. Forty-one salsa dancers completed the survey. Their average experience level was 11 years of dance practice in salsa. We used the reflexive thematic analysis approach of Braun and Clarke (2021) to analyse our data. Our actively constructed themes (A dance of positivity; Dance's cognitive embrace; Healthful bodies in harmony; and Steps, hearts, and spirits coming together) highlighted emotional and physical benefits, cognitive and learning aspects, health and wellness, and community building within the data. We believe these findings illustrate that salsa dance does indeed foster a sense of flourishing in experienced dancers within a community dance setting. The practical applications of our research in terms of promoting dance for health are discussed.