Practitioner-oriented Research Research Articles

The Terrorist Radicalization Assessment Protocol-18 (TRAP-18) in Australia: face validity, content validity, and utility in the Australian context

ABSTRACT Efforts to develop scientifically rigorous and operationally relevant research on the assessment of individuals who present as at risk of radicalisation to violent extremism and/or grievance-fuelled violence remain underdeveloped. The Terrorist Radicalization Assessment Protocol (TRAP-18) has been used across some jurisdictions in Australia to assess whether individuals are radicalising to violent extremism. A number of research publications suggest that the TRAP-18 may provide a valid assessment in radical individuals and may also have some predictive power to identify individuals who escalate to violence. However, to date, there has been no formal assessment of the usability of the TRAP-18. That is, it’s effectiveness in its aims (face validity), or user agreement of included factors (content validity). This work attends to this, and conducts empirically informed, practitioner-oriented research to examine whether the TRAP-18 is a valid and practical assessment tool for the CVE arena across Australia. We conduct a number of focus groups with both practitioners and academic experts. Overall, the results highlight that the TRAP-18 shows promise for use in Australia.

The “case to theory transformation method” for initiating is theory: the process and an illustration using is integration following mergers and acquisitions

PurposeThis to show how critical success factors (CSFs) from practitioner-oriented research can be tested and used to generate new theory.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses an extended example regarding the integration of IT departments following organizational mergers and acquisitions to illustrate in proof of concept that such practitioner-oriented research can generate new substantive theory and be used to begin a cycle of representation-testing leading to enhancing domain knowledge. The method used consists of the identification of an exemplary practitioner-oriented research article, restatement of CSFs into testable propositions, gathering data through interviews with phenomenon participants, analyzing and interpreting data relative to these CSFs, then presenting the results pertaining to these CSFs and observations from examining them holistically.FindingsNo CSFs were affirmed in all cases, neither were they rejected in all cases. The pattern of answers reveals a significant difference between factors representing general management best practices and technical practices. The higher frequency among management factors shows a relative universality to these items, whereas the technical issues are noted less frequently as they each apply to smaller subsets of all post mergers and acquisitions integrations but remain critical when they do apply. This set of responses suggests that the frequency of responses does not indicate the importance of any given factor across settings.Research limitations/implicationsThis study suggests (1) CSFs, while generally helpful, can also be misleading when applied such that, where of potential importance, they can be brought into a theorizing mode for refinement and extraction of additional knowledge; (2) that CSFs can be sorted into those tending toward general management principles that apply most frequently in contrast to those of critical importance but applicable across fewer situations; and (3) that as a proof of concept the case to theory transformation method can work to introduce heuristic knowledge into a process-initiating theorizing, raising prospects for subsequent continued improvement.Practical implicationsAssuming robust reporting of CSFs in well-conducted cases, this study knows that at least in one setting these factors were important in achieving particular results. However, this study does not know, without subsequent testing and theorizing, whether the factor applies across circumstances and whether it requires particular handling (e.g. timing may be critical but relies on varied conditions to indicate when actions need be taken). By theorizing based upon CSFs for important IS phenomena, the authors create a bridge between knowledge as used in practice and the scientific tools for increasing its value over time.Originality/valueAlthough the authors know of case and multiple case studies surfacing best practices in post mergers and acquisitions integrations, they know of no broad studies across numerous organizations; they also know of no studies demonstrating the relationship of management and technical CSFs in an IS phenomenon. Further, although there are other techniques advocated for theory initiation and building, the authors know of none that transforms heuristic or anecdotal knowledge for subsequent theorizing and continual improvement at a more detailed level than mid-range theory.

Cocurricular Learning in Management Education: Lessons From Legal Education’s Use of Student-Edited Journals

In this essay, we draw on insights from U.S. legal education’s century-long experiment using student-edited journals as a cocurricular learning tool, to develop the argument that management education should consider introducing a new category of student-edited, practitioner-oriented journals. Student-edited journals are potentially well-suited for management education because they encourage students to learn professionally relevant skills and to develop a greater understanding of research and its role in professional education. Enlisting students to help edit practitioner journals could also benefit business professionals by increasing the availability of practitioner-oriented research. In doing so, management education can use this cocurricular learning activity to help break down barriers between research, teaching and practice. This essay contributes to the management education literature by furthering the conversation about the role that cocurricular learning plays in fostering evidence-based management.

An analysis of research methods utilized in five top, practitioner-oriented LIS journals from 1980 to 2019

PurposeThis study examines research methods utilized in five practitioner-oriented research journals – College and Research Libraries, Information Technology and Libraries, Journal of the Medical Library Association, Library Resources and Technical Services and Reference and User Services Quarterly. The study fills gaps identified in existing content analyses of methods in practitioner-based LIS research publications.Design/methodology/approachBased on analysis standards and coding schemes supplied by the studies of Kalervo Jarvelin and Pertti Vakkari, as well as Heting Chu, this study identifies the primary research method utilized in 6,387 articles published in these five journals from 1980 to 2019. Trends in the frequencies with which various research methods were used are identified and presented using a series of visualizations.FindingsSignificant shifts have occurred in the research methods used by articles in these practitioner-based journals over the past four decades. Notably, the proportion of case studies has dropped substantially, particularly among College and Research Libraries and Journal of the Medical Library Association articles. Diversity of research methods utilized in articles has increased over time, with College and Research Libraries, in particular, having a significant proportion of articles in recent years that employ data analytic or qualitative approaches.Originality/valueWhile similar approaches have been used to examine research methods among other LIS journals, this study is the first to focus primarily on practitioner-based journals and document continuous change (as opposed to sampling a few years) over an extended, 40-year period.

Rubber ducks to ecological citizenship: a review of practitioner-oriented research on ecological issues in the social studies

PurposeThe world is facing unprecedented potential disaster with the impending climate crisis. Research within social studies education surrounding the integration of ecological issues, while still on the fringes, has seen a recent surge. This is a review of practitioner-oriented research published in the last ten years on teaching these issues in social studies classes.Design/methodology/approachThis study reviews practitioner-oriented articles on teaching ecological issues in social studies classes. The author searched databases and did a manual review using specific search terms. The author’s first level of analysis was to analyze the year of publication, whether the article was (co) written by a practicing teacher and whether the article featured a lesson plan/resources. The author then analyzed the content/focus of each article.FindingsIn total, ten articles were (co)written by a practicing teacher, 23 articles included lesson plans and the article themes could fall into one of six themes (water issues, pollution, climate change, climate activism, sustainability and economic growth and ecological citizenship/ethics).Research limitations/implicationsThe author was unable to review one year of articles from the Ohio Social Studies Review due to the COVID-19 pandemic and only having remote institutional access to library materials.Originality/valueIn reviewing the practitioner-oriented articles, the author hopes to not only strengthen the curricular justifications for teaching these issues in social studies classes but also show what research has been done and provide critiques and show what could be done in the future.

Translating Research for Managers: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Knowledge Translation Strategies

In this study, focusing on how scholarly research papers in management are translated into practitioner-oriented research highlights, we conducted a cross-cultural comparison to examine whether and how knowledge translation strategies differ when the same source knowledge is translated into different languages for audiences in different cultures. More specifically, using data from a bilingual management magazine that publishes highlights of scholarly management research papers, we compared its Chinese research highlights (written for a Chinese practitioner audience) and English research highlights (written for a more Western practitioner audience) to analyze whether and how the translation strategies are similar or different. Drawing on cultural psychology literature and academic-practitioner knowledge transfer literature, we explored potential dimensions on which the translation strategies might differ. We found that in comparison to English research highlights, Chinese research highlights tended to place more emphasis on the collective (by utilizing appeals to collective emotions), be more mindful of status (by toning down negative implications for high-status actors or organizations, and by highlighting the role of researchers), and be written in more practical and prescriptive tones. Our study provides a nuanced depiction of the important roles that knowledge translators play in the translation of knowledge from academia towards practitioners, as well as how they adapt to the different cultural environments of their practitioner audiences.

The Promise and Perils of Wearable Sensors in Organizational Research

Rapid advances in mobile computing technology have the potential to revolutionize organizational research by facilitating new methods of data collection. The emergence of wearable electronic sensors in particular harbors the promise of making the large-scale collection of high-resolution data related to human interactions and social behavior economically viable. Popular press and practitioner-oriented research outlets have begun to tout the game-changing potential of wearable sensors for both researchers and practitioners. We systematically examine the utility of current wearable sensor technology for capturing behavioral constructs at the individual and team levels. In the process, we provide a model for performing validation work in this new domain of measurement. Our findings highlight the need for organizational researchers to take an active role in the development of wearable sensor systems to ensure that the measures derived from these devices and sensors allow us to leverage and extend the extant knowledge base. We also offer a caution regarding the potential sources of error arising from wearable sensors in behavioral research.

Critical Action Research in Human Resource Development

Critical approaches to HRD do not focus solely on improving organizational performance; instead, they address previously undiscussable issues such as power, politics, class, alternative work structures, sexism, racism, and heterosexism. As critical HRD often seeks to raise problems instead of immediately solve them, it is sometimes criticized for being elitist or detached from practice. This article addresses how critical approaches to action research can allow practitioners and researchers to integrate critical approaches into actual practice. Critical action research provides a mechanism for ensuring that critical HRD research is grounded in the realities of real-world practice. A model is presented for considering practitioner-oriented research in HRD, which forms the theoretical basis for using action research as a methodological stance for critical HRD. An overview is provided of foundational literature of critical HRD and action research, followed by a discussion of the practical implications for conducting critical action research within the HRD field.

Obtaining Value from the Customization of Packaged Business Software

Businesses that purchase packaged application software – for example, an Enterprise Resource Planning system – must make choices about customization. Packaged software vendors, anecdotal evidence, and practitioner-oriented research all recommend that businesses should customize software as little as possible, and instead adapt their processes to meet the “best practices” of the software. However, businesses continue to outspend their budgets on implementing and maintaining customized software, often to a significant extent. This suggests that either these businesses are making poor decisions, or that the conventional wisdom about customization is incorrect. In this paper the authors model the primary factors in the customization decision: “fit” between the desired business process and the packaged software; costs related to development, maintenance, integration, and performance; and benefits related to increased fit, integration, performance, and user acceptance. They use simulation techniques to illustrate the conditions under which customization is likely to provide value to the organization, as well as conditions under which customization should be avoided.

Research Experiences of Staff within a Specialist UK Higher Education Institution: Challenges, opportunities and priorities

The study discussed here was based on a collective case approach involving a specialist UK higher education institution. Six individual interviews were carried out with a cross-sectional sample of the institution’s staff members. Additional information was gained through observations and examination of relevant documents. These data were interrogated with the purpose of exploring how the institution had made the transition from a teacher training college to a teaching-led higher education institution with a particular commitment to developing research capacity. This analysis yielded a number of key findings: first, the institution had experienced a cultural shift, with research forming a more noticeable profile; second, practitioner-oriented research was the dominant research endeavour; and third, there appeared to be an incomplete understanding of the potential of research to change a staff member’s career and teaching practice. The article concludes by giving consideration to the implications of the fin...

Competing Mistresses? Academic Vs. Practitioner Perceptions of Systems Analysis

This study investigates whether a gap exists between academic and practitioner-oriented research within the domain of systems planning and analysis. Academic-oriented research is rooted in positivism, which assumes that knowledge is objective and independent from the knower. Practitioner-oriented research assumes that knowledge is a social construction – the meanings and values which constitute knowledge are inseparable from the knower. The research questions include: (1) what are the similarities and differences between academic and practitioner research within systems planning and analysis? (2) in which streams do gaps exist? (3) to what extent do themes emerge from the data? and (4) what are the differences in research focus, pre- and post-1990, between academics and practitioners? The findings suggest that differences do exist between academic- and practitioner- oriented research regarding what is studied, which research methods are employed, and what outcomes arise from the specific studies. These differences in research appear to rest in the ideological foundations in which each is focused.

Multiple Orientations for the Conduct of Marketing Research: An Analysis of the Academic/Practitioner Distinction

A distinction often is made in marketing between academic and practitioner-oriented research. That distinction has been used to justify one type of research by highlighting the limitations of the other. The authors use a validity network schema developed by Brinberg and McGrath to characterize academic and practitioner orientations in research. Three extended examples (research using the Fishbein theory of reasoned action, causal modeling, and consumer satisfaction/complaining behavior) illustrate the use of both academic and practitioner orientations. The authors argue that both are necessary for understanding marketing problems.