Proactive Initiatives Research Articles

KEMAHIRAN PENGGUNAAN BAHASA SEBAGAI SKIL UNIVERSAL DALAM IMPROVASI KEYAKINAN DAN KETERAMPILAN JATI DIRI AKADEMIK EKSPATRIAT DI UNIVERSITI AWAM MALAYSIA

The fundamental discussion in this paper focuses and explores the elements of identity associated with local language mastery among individuals who are self-initiated expatriates. As a result, they are taking proactive initiatives to put themselves in a good position in the organization for career enhancement in the home country. The discussion in this paper is therefore aimed at exploring the relationship between the elements of language skills in the transformation of identity and confidence among expatriate academics in Malaysian public universities. In other words, the situation refers to the expatriate academic proactive attitude of trying to replace the country's cultural identity and values such as releasing the native language and mastering the local language to improve communication skills in the future. The study utilises qualitative methods that included semi-structured interviews of 30 international staff status lecturers at Malaysian public universities. The findings of this study prove that self-confidence plays a role in developing one's thoughts and actions in communicating and interacting with social and phenomenological structures that bind one to another. Thus, in the context of this study, self-confidence is seen as more personal and dynamic. In line with the discussion of this paper, the expatriate's interpretation of the improvisation of confidence and self-esteem and helps the researcher better understand the expatriate's actions in interpreting the self-confidence gained from the experiment.

From neoliberal to supra-neoliberal: Canadian education industry formation

In 2014, Canada released its first national International Education Strategy, and in 2019 – its second. This paper argues that emergence of a national document strategizing Canada’s education selling and inevitably regulating international student mobility, with strictly provincial regulation of the sector, would not be possible without bottom-up proactive initiatives originating in the institutional domain. Treating policy as a process involving multiple domains, I critically examine publicly available pre-budget submissions, briefs, and other documents, produced by the invested beneficiaries of the first Strategy, higher education institutions. Universities, united under their networking organization Universities Canada (UC) had become active advocates for a national education strategy that would bring international education into the federal domain, vertically transcending the provincial/territorial level. UCs’ stakeholder advocacy helped to elevate the largely ungoverned international education from individual university neoliberal modes to a national priority, leading to a state of education governance in Canada that can be characterized as a ‘supra-neoliberal’ education industry.

Implementation Failure of Fund Allocation and Management Policy for Project Preparation and Readiness: An Analytical Appraisal

Economic Relations Division (ERD) formulated “Fund Allocation and Management policy for ProjectPreparation and Readiness” on 6 March 2017 to provide financial support for feasibility study andland acquisition at the project preparation stage of various Ministries/Divisions of the Government ofBangladesh. Despite such efforts, ERD did not get any response from relevant Ministries/Divisions toimplement the policy. The paper critically examines the causes behind the implementation failure ofthe policy. The study found that officials of the project implementing Ministries/Divisions were notwell informed about the policy in particular. Moreover, the Ministries/Divisions, which have severalinitial roles to play in order to bring implementation process on board, have hardly done anything toprove that the existing bureaucratic set up is reluctant to take proactive initiatives to implement newpolicies unless they are somehow forced by the external environment. Besides, there exists a similarkind of fund, allocated in favour of the Programming Divisions of the Ministry of Planning, whichallow the project implementing Ministries/Divisions to get financial allocation for a feasibility studyat the project preparation stage. This similar kind of fund may decrease the importance of the ERDformulated fund for project readiness. Similarly, absence of allocation in the right place is also one ofthe root causes for implementation failure. Considering the findings, among others, recommendationsinclude holding of workshops for further dissemination of the policy documents and the scope andresponsibilities of each Ministry/Division.

Assessing the synergy status of TQM and SCM initiatives in terms of business performance of the medium and large scale Indian manufacturing industry

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop an insight into the prevalent quality and supply chain practices adopted in the contemporary Indian manufacturing industry, and compare business performance measurements between transfusion of total quality management (TQM)–supply chain management (SCM) companies and only SCM implementing companies.Design/methodology/approachTo meet the goals of this work, i.e., to ascertain contributions made by TQM–SCM practices, a reasonably large number of Indian manufacturing organizations have been extensively surveyed, through a specially designed TQM–SCM questionnaire. And the design of TQM–SCM questionnaire has been finalized through extensive literature review. Finalized TQM–SCM questionnaire was sent to around 720 industries that are implementing TQM and SCM with other related lean manufacturing practices.FindingsThe leading Indian manufacturing organizations have taken proactive initiatives to effectively improve the manufacturing by transfusing various lean manufacturing philosophies like TQM, SCM, TPM, 5S, Six Sigma, etc., for realizing enhanced manufacturing performance. The study reveals that Indian entrepreneurs have been reasonably successful in improving the business performances in the organizations by implementing combination of TQM and SCM, as TQM support to SCM is much effective and this improvement initiative has significantly contributed toward enhancing the overall manufacturing performance.Practical implicationsSynergy of TQM and SCM in the context of Indian manufacturing industry has been proved beneficial in terms of competitive image as well as business performance. Therefore, the whole Indian manufacturing entrepreneurs must continue to make an earnest effort in their endeavour to realize enhanced competitiveness through synergizing different business improvement initiatives. A major implication is that only SCM implementing companies should develop their supply chain through synergy of TQM–SCM after analyzing the business environment and their future plans.Originality/valueMuch of the attention has been given to TQM practices and SCM practices, and very few studies have been undertaken to integrate TQM and SCM practices. But as far as the authors know till now there is no study undertaken to analyze synergy status of TQM and SCM and then comparing with only SCM implementing companies in India for medium- and large-scale manufacturing class. Therefore, this study compares the transfusion of TQM–SCM with only SCM companies and can be, thus, treated as filling a gap in the extant literature. Therefore, the findings of this research paper will contribute to future research.

Development of a required longitudinal residency experience focused on deprescribing.

In this article we describe a novel required longitudinal experience focused on deprescribing designed for postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) geriatric pharmacy residents. This experience was embedded within a clinical pharmacist-driven deprescribing service. Insights on challenges faced and benefits gained during the first offering are also highlighted. Through collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy (UPMC) Palliative and Supportive Institute and the UPMC St. Margaret PGY2 geriatric pharmacy residency program, a year-long required deprescribing-focused experience was developed and executed. The experience was aligned with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists' standard goals and objectives and was designed to focus and evaluate 3 skills necessary for all pharmacy practitioners: empathy, critical thinking, and communication. There is a need for proactive deprescribing initiatives to reduce the unnecessary burden and cost associated with potentially inappropriate medications for older patients. Focused deprescribing experiences can better equip pharmacist learners with the ability to lead these initiatives. A required longitudinal deprescribing-focused experience can provide PGY2 geriatric pharmacy residents with opportunities to practice empathy, critical thinking, and communication beyond those typically offered in a residency program.

Towards providing middleware-level proactive resource reorganisation for elastic HPC applications in the cloud

Elasticity is one of the most important features of cloud computing, referring to the ability to add or remove resources according to the needs of the application or service. Particularly for High Performance Computing (HPC), elasticity can provide a better use of resources and also a reduction in the execution time of applications. Today, we observe the emergence of proactive initiatives to handle the elasticity and HPC duet, but they present at least one problem related to the need of a previous user experience, large processing time or completion of parameters. Concerning the aforesaid context, this paper presents ProElastic - a lightweight model that uses proactive elasticity to drive resource reorganisation decisions for HPC applications. Our idea is to explore both performance and adaptivity at middleware level in an effortless way at user perspective. The results showed performance gains and a competitive cost (application time × consumed resources).

Pragmatic implications of embedded librarianship in academics: a review of eminent literatures

PurposeAs the concept of “embedded librarianship” is gaining acceptance globally, and a surplus amount of literature is available for the aspiring practitioners, it would be supplementary to carry out such a literature review and bring alike and crucial works together within one piece of writing. This paper aims to gather realistic instances in LIS literature, where embedded librarianship has been practiced successfully.Design/methodology/approachWhile the focus of this review paper is on embedded librarians in curricular contexts, the phrase embedded librarian has a variety of meanings, including librarian involvement and integration at the macro levels such as college, department, programme, research team and micro levels such as course designing, semester assignments and competitive preparation etc. List of relevant literatures was collected from Scopus and LISTA database. Later, full text of the listed document was retrieved from different sources. But the literature that included practical role of an embedded librarian was prioritised and the one which incorporated proposed theories was excluded, and hence, 67 of them were found to be fitted for reviewing purpose in the current case.FindingsWhile planning for any extensional service besides the usual housekeeping ones, a vigorous transformation in the attitude has to be engulfed. Though the conception of embedded librarianship as a whole is an extended version of service deliverance, it can be alienated into sections according to the contextual outline and areas of embedding such as in the research context, pedagogical participation and offering information literacy.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper provides a panoramic view on the emerging notion of this extended version of librarianship. By successfully practicing the embedded librarianship model, the user group would be benefited and the professionals could justify the ethics of their professionalism. Embedded librarianship in the university context can be a very important endeavour for the future challenges. The proactive initiatives of the librarian along with a handy support from authorities might ensure continuous and effective partnerships.Originality/valueThis paper is expected to be one of the initial and review articles in the area of embedded librarianship in academics. It is a highly informative paper on embedded librarianship and will be most useful for researchers to refer this paper for individual study and also will promote the academic librarians for taking initiative to work as effective embedded librarians.

Toward a Tripartite Model and Measurement of Proactive Personality

ABSTRACTAlthough proactive personality (Bateman & Crant, 1993), as a relatively stable disposition to bring about change in one's environment, is a central construct in the management and organizational behavior literature, questions have arisen about its definition and structure. To answer these questions, we present a tripartite model of proactive personality consisting of 3 dimensions: perception (i.e., perceiving opportunities for change), implementation (i.e., planning and executing change), and perseverance (i.e., persisting until the change is realized). Exploratory factor analysis informed the construction of a 14-item scale, and confirmatory factor analyses supported the validity of the scale. The new scale demonstrated satisfactory reliability and accounted for significant variance in task performance above that of original proactive personality, personal initiative, conscientiousness, and social desirability. Tripartite proactive personality might provide a more nuanced view of dispositional proactivity and greater predictive power than the original unidimensional proactive personality.

Increasing the strategic role of HR: the importance of macro-economic conditions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce notions for increasing the strategic position of the HR function by outlining the influence that macro-economic trends play on the role of the function and the success of its initiatives. The main focus is on how HR can over time change with economic cycles to add tangible value and drive strategic conversations.Design/methodology/approachThis argument is split into three sections: the importance of strategic considerations for change, macro-economic trends and HR, and HR’s increased input to business strategy. It looks at the work of key theorists in change management, analyzes the history of HR and develops these arguments into conclusions about how to improve HR’s strategic role.FindingsKey theories of change management demonstrate that strategy is critical to the success of change projects. This means encompassing both internal and external factors affecting a business. By examining the historical development of HR it is clear to see that macro-economic trends are a significant external factor that is not often investigated by HR. If HR can harness this information, they will be able to implement proactive initiatives and drive strategic conversations.Originality/valueThe notions outlined in this paper identify a significant factor for the success of HR that is not often investigated by the function, allowing HR to implement more effective initiatives at optimal times.

Перспективы оценки социально-экономической значимости массового футбола в РФ

The article discusses the prospects of grassroots football development in Russia and the potential socio-economic areas that can be positively influenced by this factor. This study also provides and overview of the current financing system of Russian non-elite football as well as the long-term development goals set out in the 2030 Russian Football Development Strategy. The authors conduct a thorough review of scientific literature. Namely, the concept of social return on investment is discussed due its broad application in a number of empirical studies. Specific attention is given to research papers that analyzed the cause-effect relationships between sport and physical activity and healthcare, education, social inclusion and economic factors. In conclusion the authors summarize the main findings of previous studies and ascertain the feasibility of conducting similar research in the context of Russian football. Data accessibility and validity are highlighted among the potential barriers for conducting such a study. This sort of research could have high practical relevance due to the proactive initiatives undertaken by state agencies and the Football union of Russia in promoting grassroots football activates across the country.

Elaborate Scaffolding, Weak Foundations: Business – Government Relations and Economic Reform in Democratic South Africa

This paper explores the evolution of the business–government dimensions of South Africa’s democratic political settlement. It details how and why market-based reforms were embraced by both political and economic actors in the 1990s as part of a broader commitment to a rule-bound political settlement. It explores two aspects of the subsequent play of the game: the rise and decline of a ‘corporatist’ elite bargain; and the evolution of initiatives to foster black economic empowerment. Overall, rule-bound, disciplining reforms were embraced more readily than pro-active initiatives to build capability. The result has been that South Africa became mired in a combination of economic stagnation and the strengthening over time of forces antithetical to market-based reform.

New models for geoscience higher education in West Africa

The challenges facing government-funded higher education institutions in West Africa in response to the demand for mineral resources require a spectrum of responses aligned with the multinational development programs. Efforts to meet the demands of industry and government organisations for skilled staff are undermined by the large numbers of students attracted to Earth Science courses in Africa. The African Union's African Mining Vision, the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and the New Education Model for Africa provide a framework for progress, however, there are only a few concrete examples that allow us to explore the strengths and limitations of different approaches. Two proactive initiatives based on locally-identified needs and that involve local and international collaborations are presented that allow such an analysis. The first, a public-private partnership entitled the West African Exploration Initiative (WAXI), provides graduate and professional training as a result of direct industry and partner government financial and in-kind support. The second initiative known as GEOLOOC is a new online training program supported by UNESCO and the International Mining for Development Centre that unites several West African universities in creating a common resource pool of Earth Science training materials. These activities are being carried out in collaboration with the local universities, and a new professional training centre based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. In West Africa, by addressing locally-identified gaps in higher education delivery and by building local and international collaborations, the projects described here are starting to successfully implement new models to contribute to the enhancement of geoscience higher education. These new models complement existing government-funded Higher Education systems by providing them with much-needed support at a time of rapid change.

The Impact of Farm Visits on Farmers’ Satisfaction with Extension: Examining the Dependence on Individual Methods in the Caribbean

This research sought to investigate the dependence on farm visits in selected Caribbean islands, and estimate the impact of such visits on farmers’ satisfaction with extension. The study utilized a causal-comparative design using a convenience sample from six major farming countries in the Eastern Caribbean. Descriptive frequencies, ANOVA, principal factor analysis, and hierarchical OLS regression models were presented. It appears the low use of alternate approaches to disseminate information to eastern Caribbean farmers has led to a dependency on farm visits. This is unsustainable primarily because of its high cost, given the financial constraints of countries. Results indicated that while farmers were fairly satisfied with extension, there was a significant difference in satisfaction based on country of residence, and frequency of farm visits was a significant moderator of satisfaction. Countries’ GDP per capita were consistent with satisfaction levels. Proactive initiatives by extension that focus on alternative education approaches are needed; farmers can be clustered into commodity groups and extension can also make use of the good ICT infrastructure in these countries. Extension can influence farmers’ expectations if it capitalizes on other approaches such as ICTs and group visits. Effective use of alternative lower-cost approaches can result in greater ability to deliver each dimension of quality and match farmers’ expectations. Farm visits have become entrenched as the preferred extension method in the Caribbean. This first-time study, which looks at the issue from an extension and economic perspective, shows the urgent need to revisit the farm visit approach to extension.

Challenges in integration of primary care for older adults addressed by introducing a geriatric care model: results of a RCT

Introduction: Primary care for older adults is facing challenges: there is an urgent need for integration of care, health problems could be identified at a more timely stage, and older adults demand more autonomy in their care process. We aimed to address these challenges by introducing the geriatric care model (GCM), based on the chronic care model (Bodenheimer et al., 2002). Methods: Design & setting 2-year stepped-wedge cluster randomized clinical trial, carried out among 35 primary care practices in West-Friesland and Amsterdam. Geriatric Care Model: Practice nurses acted as linchpins in integrated care for frail older adults who live at home. Every six months older adults received a geriatric comprehensive assessment, followed by a tailored care plan. Participants with complex care needs were reviewed in interdisciplinary consultations. Rationale: GCM addresses challenges (concerning integration, timely identification of health problems, and client autonomy), and this in turn leads to improved patient outcomes. Participants 1147 frail older adults aged 65 years and over. Data collected (every 6 months): 1- Patient outcomes: independence in (i)ADL, quality of life, hospitalisation, (un)met care needs 2- Costs 3- Process outcomes: fidelity, barriers and facilitators to implementation 4- Challenges addressed: Timely identification of health problems and care needs Client autonomy Integration of care Results: Despite the fact that adherence to the main components of the GCM was good (Muntinga et al., 2015), Intention-to-treat analyses based on multilevel modelling adjusted for time and baseline confounders showed no relevant differences between usual care and the GCM on patient outcomes (Hoogendijk et al., 2016), client autonomy, and integration of care; GCM was not cost-effective compared to usual care (van Leeuwen et al., 2015 ); Analyses of care registries among the 781 older persons who received at least one comprehensive geriatric assessment indicated that the GCM addresses timely identification of health problems and care needs. For example: 315 (40 %) older people experienced any type of pain. Practice nurses identified 20 (11 %) new pain cases, and 188 (60 %) older people with pain formulated at least one pain action plan together with a practice nurse. More than half of the older people whose pain had already been identified by a general practitioner wanted a pain action plan. Most pain action plans consisted of actions or agreements related to continuity of care (Muntinga et al., 2016). Discussions: Elements of the model have been adopted and continued in both regions. The outcome measures may have not been able to capture the perceived usefulness of these elements. Conclusions: GCM was not cost-effective compared to usual care. Lessons learned: Design interventions and outcome measures in close collaboration with end users Monitor sites after the end of a study to investigate long-term effects of interventions Limitations: Small study sample hindered subgroup analyses Suggestions for future research: Aggregation of data of similar proactive initiatives may provide necessary insights into outcomes in (subgroups of) older adults. Research on outcome measures is necessary: how to capture the perceived usefulness of integrated care approaches?

Taking Stock of the Drosophila Research Ecosystem

With a century-old history of fundamental discoveries, the fruit fly has long been a favored experimental organism for a wide range of scientific inquiries. But Drosophila is not a “legacy” model organism; technical and intellectual innovations continue to revitalize fly research and drive advances in our understanding of conserved mechanisms of animal biology. Here, we provide an overview of this “ecosystem” and discuss how to address emerging challenges to ensure its continued productivity. Drosophila researchers are fortunate to have a sophisticated and ever-growing toolkit for the analysis of gene function. Access to these tools depends upon continued support for both physical and informational resources. Uncertainty regarding stable support for bioinformatic databases is a particular concern, at a time when there is the need to make the vast knowledge of functional biology provided by this model animal accessible to scientists studying other organisms. Communication and advocacy efforts will promote appreciation of the value of the fly in delivering biomedically important insights. Well-tended traditions of large-scale tool development, open sharing of reagents, and community engagement provide a strong basis for coordinated and proactive initiatives to improve the fly research ecosystem. Overall, there has never been a better time to be a fly pusher.

"What's going to happen when we're gone?" Family caregiving capacity for older people with an intellectual disability in Ireland.

Changing family sociodemographic factors, increased life expectancy for people with an intellectual disability, deinstitutionalization and policy prioritization of the family as the principal care provider, presents new challenges to care sustainability. A qualitative study design was employed, entailing focus groups and semistructured interviews, with purposive sampling via the parent study population of the Intellectual Disability Supplement to The Irish Longitudinal Database on Ageing. The traditional sociodemographic facilitators of family caregiving are in rapid decline. Families perceived limited support from services and limited future care options. Few future care plans have been formulated. A strong possibility exists of placement of older family members with an intellectual disability in out-of-family home care. To anticipate and provide for quality care supports, there is a need to establish proactive initiatives, for both people with an intellectual disability and their families', to facilitate the early formation of long-term care plans.

The Co-evolution of Leaders’ Cognitive Complexity and Corporate Sustainability: The Case of the CEO of Puma

In this longitudinal study, we explore the co-evolution of the cognitive complexity of the CEO of Puma, Jochen Zeitz, and his view and initiatives on sustainability. Our purpose was to explore how the changes in a leader’s mindset relate to his/her views and actions on sustainability. In contrast to previous studies, we adopt an in-depth longitudinal case study approach to capture the role of leaders’ cognitive complexity in the context of corporate sustainability. By understanding the cognitive development of Zeitz as leader of Puma, we provide an important step toward understanding the co-evolution of leaders’ cognitive complexity and proactive corporate sustainability initiatives over time. Our findings show that as he developed a more complex mindset that also included non-business lenses, Zeitz developed a more inclusive understanding of sustainability and adopted proactive initiatives that went beyond business-as-usual. Our study also demonstrates that a longitudinal perspective can offer valuable insights for a better understanding of how individuals and their interactions affect and are affected by an organization’s strategies and performance, in corporate sustainability and beyond.

Achieving new product development performance through entrepreneurial orientation: evidence from Taiwan

Entrepreneurial orientation reflects a managerial capability by which firms embark on proactive and aggressive initiatives to alter the competitive scene to their advantage. Although structure, leadership and control have influences on levels of entrepreneurship within the firm, few studies investigate the antecedents of entrepreneurial orientation from both strategic and proclivity dimensions. In this study, entrepreneurial orientation is treated as a second-order formative construct based on Lumpkin and Dess' viewpoints. The findings show that learning orientation from the strategic dimension and entrepreneurial resources from the proclivity dimension have influences on entrepreneurial orientation of technological entrepreneurs. This study also confirms the interrelationships among entrepreneurial orientation, breakthrough innovation and new product development performance.

Solid Waste Management in Urban India: An Overview

Government of India in recent past took a number of proactive initiatives in the form of changes in policies, institutions and management mechanisms to address the problem of municipal solid waste management. Despite these changes, results are believed to be less than expected ones. Increasing economic growth is bound to generate more wastes and managing these wastes needs both budgetary and technical resources. In view of scarcity of resources, there is thus a need for a paradigm shift in the approach to solid waste management in India. Among other things, this requires a thorough and dispassionate understanding of the gravity of the situation and a critical diagnosis of the response measures. Though underlying issues are to a large extent same across continents, countries, cities and municipalities, yet some issues are specific in this context. Thus, both commonalities and specificities have to be discerned and analyzed. It is against this background that the present paper is designed to present an overview of the existing municipal solid waste management practices from the global to national and national to local level perspectives in reference to the Indian cities. Particular emphasis has also been laid on to assess the overall solid waste generation and management services practiced by the Indian municipalities. Besides these, various legal, institutional and policy issues relating to urban solid waste management in the Indian context have also been reviewed to strengthen the argument in favour of the need for efficient solid waste management services for the Indian cities. It can be observed from the literature review that despite a number of positive initiatives taken by India in recent years, the state of the urban solid waste management is still far from a satisfactory level and there is thus an urgent need to address the issue by involving residents, private sector players and non-governmental organizations along with civic authorities.

Evaluation of business performance measurements for ISO 9000 initiatives in Indian manufacturing industry

Manufacturing organisations globally have taken proactive initiatives to effectively improve the manufacturing by ISO quality management system for realising enhanced manufacturing system performance. Therefore, need is felt for an insight into the prevalent quality management practices adopted in the contemporary Indian manufacturing industry. Data from Indian manufacturing industry has been obtained through specially designed ISO 9000 questionnaires and analysed to evaluate the measurements of business performance with various ISO 9000 initiatives. The study reveals that Indian manufacturing industries have been reasonably successful in improving the business performances in the organisations by implementing ISO 9000 Quality Management System. It is established that ISO 9000 implementation over a reasonable time period can significantly contribute towards manufacturing performance enhancements. The study stresses the need for improving the coordination between manufacturing function and other organisational quality improvement initiatives in the organisations, to establish manufacturing as a competitive strategy for meeting the challenges of highly competitive environment.