Using icebreaker questions to improve Chinese students' engagement in transnational education – An action research

Enhancing student engagement yields a multitude of benefits for students. It not only improves their satisfaction but also increases their motivation, enriches their learning experience, reduces their sense of isolation and ultimately enhances their academic performance. However, Chinese students in transnational education are known for being silent in the classroom. With overwhelming and consistent research findings in the pedagogical literature that participation in class discussion and asking questions are crucial activities that cultivate independent learning skills and develop the ability to apply knowledge, how to get Chinese students to speak up in class has clearly become an issue of concern to educators. Informed by the UK professional standards framework (UKPSF) and underpinned by Brookfield's four lenses model, this action research examined and confirmed the positive effect of using both personal-related and course content-related icebreaker questions at the beginning of the class to increase Chinese students' engagement. It also identified different effects these two types of questions might have on students' engagement and the potential concerns associated.</p

Extreme working hours

In recent years the issue of the perfect work-time has been debated. Much has been made of the Swedish experiment to reduce the working day to 6 hours (Savage, 2017) and focusing on the job fitting the person. Nevertheless, even in the face of increasing evidence of occupational health and safety problems associated with extended working hours, more organisations (including multinational corporations [MNCs]) have been pushing for extended working hours. This chapter explores the literature on extended or extreme working hours and why, in the face of the evidence, such practices are being extended. It then examines three case studies across different industries which lacked any pilot study to justify the extension of hours, or assess the fatigue and risk implication in high risk and dangerous industries. In the light of increasing deregulation the cases also highlight the ongoing importance of unions as a countervailing power to stand up to these attempt to challenge key terms and conditions of work

The politics of voice: Voice and volunteering in a third sector organisation

The study of voice has rarely examined a large part of the workforce and one of rising importance-Third Sector organisations which deliver important services on a not-for-profit basis. In this chapter, we commence an examination of vice among volunteers, particularly in the context of mixed employee and volunteer work forces. We establish that while there are differences between the two groups, there re a range of commonalities that suggest that having a voice is an important element of volunteering. Against this background, we examine a complex and long-running collective bargaining dispute in a rural fire service in Australia, that is among volunteers underscored a legacy of poor management which also impeded the resolution of the dispute

How does the power dynamics in the information technology outsourcing supply chain influence supplier's talent retention: A multiple case study

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the power dynamics between the client firm and the supplier firm in the information technology outsourcing (ITO) supplier chain influence the supplier firm's human resource management (HRM) practices, particularly talent retention. Design/methodology/approach: A multi-case study approach was adopted comprising four supplier firms, three client firms and a total of 53 interviews. The transaction cost economics (TCE) is the theoretical lens that guides the interpretation of our findings. Findings: The power dynamics between client and supplier firms in the ITO supply chain is one underpinned by TCE theory, characterised by an asymmetric client-dominated, transactional relationship, with the client firms controlling the “why”, the “what”, and the “how” dimensions of their collaboration. This “three-dimensional control” led to high talent turnover in supplier firms, which boomerangs to perpetuate the power dynamic, forming “vicious cycles of talent turnover” in the ITO supplier chain. Originality/value: No previous study has analysed power dynamics as an external factor on ITO supplier firms' talent retention. The construct of the “three-dimensional-control” offers a framework to study power dynamics in the ITO supplier chain. The study’s framework of the “vicious cycles of talent turnover” is the first that explains the mechanisms through which the power dynamics in the ITO influences supplier's talent retention.</p

Faceless power and voiceless resistance: How a Chinese context challenges a western theory of power

This article examines the applicability to the Chinese context of a western power typology by Fleming and Spicer. In particular, we extend this power framework to exploring the relationship between language policies and organizational power. Drawing from 30 interviews in addition to 6-months of participant observation in a multinational corporation’s subsidiary in China, we question the separability of the different faces of power, and observe the absence of certain corresponding forms of resistance – most notably that of voice. We found Fleming and Spicer’s faces of power to prioritize individualistic and active as opposed to more collectivist and passive dynamics, potentially indicating cultural bias. Drawing on defaced account of the structures of power, we highlight the absence of an adequate emphasis on sociocultural and historical context in power discourse and expand the traditional conceptualization of power to a more multifactorial understanding of the interaction between faced and defaced structures of power as influenced by the historical, economic, socio-cultural and organizational reality of our lived experiences.</p

Does acculturation affect one’s implicit leadership theories? Evidence from Chinese professionals in Australia and China

Notwithstanding the increasing participation of Chinese immigrant professionals in developed countries, our knowledge on the link between acculturation and leadership is scant. By integrating the fields of acculturation and leadership, this study examines the effect of acculturation on the implicit leadership theories held by Chinese professionals in Australia relative to their counterparts in China. Seventy interviews involving Chinese immigrant professionals in Australia and China were conducted to explore the extent to which acculturation into a new and different cultural context changes one’s implicit leadership theories. Analyses of the interview data led to the emergence of five culturally independent and two culturally dependent implicit leadership perceptions. This study contributes to the ongoing debate around the stability of implicit leadership theories and extends the validity of using a follower-centred approach to study leadership. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Sustainable human resource management: The perspectives of Italian human resource managers

Over the past two decades, sustainable human resource management (sustainable HRM) has emerged as a new approach to human resource management. Sustainable HRM takes a stakeholder-inclusive perspective to ensure the sustainable development of organizations along multiple objectives (financial, social, environmental, and organizational). Human resource (HR) managers are key actors in sustainable HRM implementation. However, how these important stakeholders perceive sustainable HRM remains understudied in the growing literature. This qualitative study explores how 32 HR managers in Italy construct the meaning of sustainable HRM and perceive their roles in and the barriers to implementing a sustainable HRM strategy. The findings reveal that Italian HR managers interpret sustainable HRM in line with the triple bottom line sustainability framework but give particular prominence to the social dimension. We develop a framework of HR managers’ roles in the sustainable HRM paradigm comprising sustainability strategy owners, social innovators, corporate social responsibility (CSR) partnership architects, genuine employee champions, and administrative experts. Additionally, we develop a model of the barriers to sustainable HRM adoption. This study advances the sustainable HRM literature by providing a contextualized, country-specific understanding of sustainable HRM and frameworks for the roles of HR managers under a sustainable HRM paradigm and the barriers to its adoption.</p

A literature review of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on sustainable HRM

The ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to emerge across all facets of the world of work, including the field of human resource management (HRM). Sustainable HRM, drawing on the triple bottom line elements of the economic, environmental and social pillars of sustainability, provides an ideal basis from which to understand the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and HRM. In this systematic literature review, we analyze peer reviewed articles published in the nexus of the pandemic and sustainable HRM, identifying the dimensions and extent of research in this topical area of study. Our CEDEL model—complicator–exposer–disruptor–enabler– legitimizer—conceptualizes our understanding of the role of COVID-19 in sustainable HRM. This paper provides a framework from which future studies can benefit when investigating the impacts of COVID-19, and a comprehensive identification of future research avenues.</p

The vital role of law in fighting Australia’s food waste

Food waste is a global problem, with significant environmental, social and economic implications. A concerted effort that engages all world governments would be an optimal approach to address food waste. While there has been some international agreement, strategies on how to reduce food waste remain the purview of national, state and local governments. In this article, we explore the Australian government’s commitment to fighting food waste, and strategies to realise its vision to halve food waste by 2030. Arguing that voluntary action may not be sufficient to reach this goal, we highlight the role that law can play in fighting food waste

The process or people? Overcoming the challenges of food waste and insecurity in a wide brown land

There is more food waste in Australia than can reach hungry people. Not-for-profit (NFP) organisations collect food that would otherwise go to waste and distribute it to needy people through a network of partnering charities. Despite the potential to increase capacity, enhancing the processes involved is complex. The literature focusing on unique challenges associated with the distribution side of the food relief supply chain is incomplete.  This research seeks to understand the challenges faced by NFPs when enhancing their capacity and engagement. We have used Foodbank and its partnering charities as a case study. This involved collecting data from documents and 12 semi-structured interviews. We incorporated three theories to identify key operational and interpersonal challenges and present associated propositions.</p