Enhanced adoption model for collaborative knowledge sharing in Malaysia halal food industry

Collaborative Knowledge Sharing (CKS) is one of the strategies that enable organisations to work together with their internal and external stakeholders. It enables the achievement of common objectives which in turn improves organisational performance. Accordingly, via qualitative phenomenology, this research has explored the ways by which a Halal food organisation adopted CKS. The approach entailed explorations of the CKS practices of respondents’ from one of the main players in the Malaysian Halal food industry which findings contribute to the enhancement of CKS adoption model for the industry. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit the respondents, who consisted of staff from different management levels. Semi-structured face-to-face and over-the-phone interviews have been conducted to collect data. All interview sessions have been recorded using a voice recorder, following which transcription was done so that the text could be analysed using the Atlas.ti software. As per findings, the organisation’s CKS practices were still at pre-adoption stage, meaning that they were still informal and not centralised. However, there were activities that have already been embedded in current policies, examples of which included induction sessions for new staff, trainings, and the audits. Meanwhile, the new requirements set by the external stakeholders (like vendors and customers) provided useful information for product-development. This research has found five factors that helped enhance the CKS adoption model in the Halal food industry: individual, organisational, environmental, technological and non-technological channels, as well as Islamic perspectives. From a practical viewpoint, this study provides the players with valuable information that can assist in strategising for CKS adoption in their organisations

A Study of High School Teachers' Experiences Making Innovations to Instruction

Creativity and innovation are important for sustaining the relevance of schools in the changing world. Although innovation is a significant aspect of school improvement, we do not know how teachers perceive the experience of making innovations to instruction. The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to reveal how teachers experience making innovations to their instruction. The research questions for this study are as follows: (1) What key themes emerge as teachers describe their experiences making innovations to instruction? (2) What key themes emerge as teachers describe the environmental factors that influence the innovations they make to instruction? (3) What key themes emerge as teachers describe the leadership that influences the innovations they make to instruction? Principals and a school district administrator were asked to identify English, math, science and social studies teachers in three high-performing suburban high schools who demonstrate the characteristics of innovative teachers based on existing research. The researcher administered the Reisman Diagnostic Creativity Assessment (RDCA) self-assessment and Dweck's mindset questionnaire to 21 high-school teachers. Most teachers in the study self-assessed themselves as having a moderately high to very high level of creativity and a growth mindset. The researcher conducted focus group and individual interviews with 14 of the high school teachers. Transcripts of the interviews were coded and the following major categories emerged: (1) Innovative Processes; (2) Personal Feelings; (3) Risk Taking; (4) Teacher Motivation; (5) Limited Collaboration; and (6) Leadership. These categories were synthesized into five themes that are presented as the results of this research study: (1) Teachers Make Innovations to their Instruction for Professional and Personal Reasons; (2) Teachers Need to Feel Secure Before Taking Risks; (3) Teachers Make Innovations to their Instruction with Limited Collaboration; (4) Leaders Can Increase the Likelihood that Teachers Make Innovations to their Instruction; and (5) Creativity and a Growth Mindset are Associated with Innovative Teaching. This study suggests the need for teachers to understand their students' experiences and be motivated to overcome barriers in order to make innovations. It also suggests the need for school leaders to encourage innovation and create conditions where it can take place.Ed.D., Educational Leadership and Management -- Drexel University, 201

A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY TO EXPLORE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HISPANIC UNACCOMPANIED HOMELESS YOUTH

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Hispanic Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (HUHY) enrolled in public high school in Texas. Homeless students face unique living challenges. However, homeless students have proven abilities critical for their academic pursuits. The study results showed homeless students are resilient and needed at least one deep personal connection with a school staff member. Among this study’s findings are that homeless students might sometimes camouflage signs of their homelessness by concealing their indigent status. Moreover, homeless students in some instances were denied enrollment and services. All the participants in this study were pursuing their studies with determination and aspirations to graduate from high school. The participants used their homelessness as a source of resilience to overcome their living challenges. This study contributes new insight to the phenomenon of Hispanic homeless students and adds new knowledge on homeless students’ lives and their experiences in high school. The study’s findings, applications, and usefulness target audiences made of educators, school administrators, and private and political stakeholders. Additionally, this study may be used to advocate for the welfare of homeless students and the time use of school counselors as individuals that promote student connections and social policies for at-risk populations

Elementos determinantes del proceso de desarrollo de nuevos productos en cinco pymes metalmecánicas: método hermenéutico fenomenológico

El propósito de esta investigación es establecer los elementos determinantes del proceso de desarrollo de nuevos productos en cinco pymes metalmecánicas, teniendo en cuenta que este es un proceso de naturaleza humana, y por lo tanto, subyace a la realidad simbólica construida socialmente por las personas involucradas en el mismo. El enfoque hermenéutico fenomenológico fue utilizado para orientar metodológicamente el estudio; se entrevistó a seis participantes de cinco pymes del sector metalmecánico matriculadas en Bogotá D.C. Y se identificó que las empresas que atienden segmentos de mercado más sofisticados y exigentes en el cumplimiento de estándares de calidad han logrado alcanzar mayores niveles de maduración del proceso de innovación. La formalización y estructuración del proceso de innovación cumple con la función de guiar o conducir la innovación, pero esto no es suficiente para el desarrollo exitoso de nuevos productos, existen factores adicionales que se encuentran intrínsecamente relacionados con la cultura empresarial, cuya fortaleza o debilidad condiciona los resultados finales del proceso.Abstract. The purpose of this study is to establish the determinant elements understand of the process of new product development in five metalworking SMEs, considering that this is a human process, and therefore underlies the symbolic reality constructed by the people involved in this. The hermeneutic phenomenological approach was employed to guide the study methodologically; six participants from five companies in the metalworking sector registered in Bogota D.C. were interviewed. And it was identified that the companies serving more sophisticated and demanding in meeting quality standards market segments have achieved higher levels of maturity of the innovation process. The formalization and structuring of the innovation process fulfills the function of guiding or driving innovation, but this is not enough for the successful development of new products, there are more factors that are intrinsically linked with corporate culture and their strength or weakness determines the final results of the process.Maestrí

Predicting user acceptance of Tamil speech to text by native Tamil Brahmans

This thesis investigates and predicts the user acceptance of a speech to text application in Tamil and takes the view that user acceptance model would need to take into, the cultural constraints that apply in the context and underlines the need for a more explicit recognition. The user acceptance models such as Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) predominantly focus on the technological aspects to determine the acceptance. The cultural variables are considered as external but at the same time they acknowledge the influence of user acceptance due to external variables. The contribution to knowledge is, an empirical link between Tamil usage at a social level that indicates the ability to use and accept Tamil speech to text application. The economic value of Tamil, does not seem to warrant technology use and therefore, speech to text in Tamil was found to be less acceptable in the study samples. In order to achieve the objective of predicting the user acceptance of speech to text in Tamil by the native Tamil speaking Brahmans, the researcher designed and evaluated a paper prototype of an iPhone iOS mobile representation of the paper prototype on the idea of 'what you speak is what you get'. As a result of the researcher’s insider position, the idea was to convert the speech as spoken by the person into Tamil orthography without any technological interference such as auto correct, word prediction and spell check. Due to the syllabic nature of the language and the cultural tendency to code mix and code-switch, the investigation focused on three key areas- code mixing, pronunciation and choice of script . This thesis looks at the complexities involved in accommodating these areas. The user's choice of script was increasingly important as it cannot be assumed that all native Tamil speakers are able to read and write Tamil. In order to bring in rich data, the researcher used the insider and outsider positionality alongside phenomenology. This was also to overcome any potential bias in analysis and interpretation. The multidisciplinary approach to answer the research question was inevitable owing to cultural variables like value and usage of language, social perception of language and its usage specifically code-switching, pronunciation and orthography in the native space. 4 Data gathering was done using quantitative study of transliteration and qualitative interviews of Tamil speaking Brahmans. The findings point to the Vedic philosophical texts and practices that influenced the attitude of the respondents on how words must be pronounced and how they ought to appear in text. The development of the speech to text application could be enriched by using a native approach that embeds cultural and philosophical values. Based on the findings, this thesis has identified areas for further research which is to widely test the user acceptance model proposed in this thesis to aid development of speech to text and to further investigate on native perspective in the wider diaspora and also to investigate cultural and philosophical relevance in speech to text in other languages where technology is in developing stage