3,533 research outputs found

    The wicked and complex in education: developing a transdisciplinary perspective for policy formulation, implementation and professional practice

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    The concept of 'wicked issues', originally developed in the field of urban planning, has been taken up by design educators, architects and public health academics where the means for handling 'wicked issues' has been developed through 'reflective practice'. In the education of teachers, whilst reflective practice has been a significant feature of professional education, the problems to which this has been applied are principally 'tame' ones. In this paper, the authors argue that there has been a lack of crossover between two parallel literatures. The literature on 'wicked issues' does not fully recognise the difficulties with reflective practice and that in education which extols reflective practice, is not aware of the 'wicked' nature of the problems which confront teachers and schools. The paper argues for a fresh understanding of the underlying nature of problems in education so that more appropriate approaches can be devised for their resolution. This is particularly important at a time when the government in England is planning to make teaching a masters level profession, briefly defined by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) benchmark statement as 'Decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations'. The paper begins by locating the argument and analysis of 'wicked problems' within the nature of social complexity and chaos. The second part of the paper explores implications for those involved in policy formation, implementation and service provision. Given the range of stakeholders in education, the paper argues for a trans-disciplinary approach recognising the multiple perspectives and methodologies leading to the acquisition of reticulist skills and knowledge necessary to boundary cross. © 2009 Taylor & Francis

    Exploring the applicability of deming’s concept of “continuous improvement” in the contemporary public sector organisations

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    Abstract: Continuous improvement is a prerequisite for effective performance of the contemporary public sector organisations. This research explores the applicability of Deming’s concept of “continuous improvement” in the contemporary South African public sector organisations. The motive of the study was to identify the major paradoxes and the remedial improvement strategies that can be suggested. Using conceptual analysis as a qualitative research technique, a meta-synthesis of continuous improvement theories was undertaken and triangulated with the results of empirical studies conducted on continuous improvement in the South African public sector organisations. In contrast to the articulation in the continuous improvement theory of Plan-Do- Check-Act, the concept of continuous improvement was found to be overshadowed by over-emphasis of monitoring and evaluation which are also in turn largely saddled by unsupportive cultural practices, ineffective implementation of improvement measures and lack of easily discernible plans. In the context of such paradoxes, the study enriches the existing theories by suggesting a five steps’ (Analyse-Plan- Improve-Measure- Improve) cyclical framework that the public sector managers can emulate as a moderator for undertaking effective continuous improvement in the increasingly contemporary complex and demanding public sector organisations

    A Pandemic Perspective on the Sharing Economy Paradoxes

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    Although the sharing economy was expected to bring sustainable transformations towards social welfare, economic growth and environmental preservation, it has not always lived up to the expectations. After the COVID-19 pandemic, benefits may become more elusive, considering the disruption that the pandemic has caused. This paper provides insight into the social, economic, environmental and regulatory paradoxes of the sharing economy before the pandemic. It also explores the roots of contradictory insights by analysing the role of normative, economic and digital regulatory mechanisms governing relations within platforms. The paper also discusses the effect of COVID-19 on platform regulatory mechanisms and their potential impact on the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability

    The complexities of electronic services implementation and institutionalisation in the public sector

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    This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Information & Management. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2013 Elsevier B.V.Electronic service implementation (ESI) in the public sector attempts to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of governmental departments. Despite having provided the necessary infrastructure and investment, many governments have struggled to realise such aims due to the various forces that challenge implementation and institutionalisation. Using institutional theory as a lens, we explored the forces influencing the implementation and institutionalisation of ESI in the public sector. While our results reinforced previous research in IT implementation and organisational transformation, they showed that the dynamic nature of technology poses unanticipated pressures, and that these can impede the implementation and institutionalisation process

    Problems and promises of innovation: why healthcare needs to rethink its love/hate relationship with the new

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    Innovation is often regarded as uniformly positive. This paper shows that the role of innovation in quality improvement is more complicated. The authors identify three known paradoxes of innovation in healthcare. First, some innovations diffuse rapidly, yet are of unproven value or limited value, or pose risks, while other innovations that could potentially deliver benefits to patients remain slow to achieve uptake. Second, participatory, cooperative approaches may be the best way of achieving sustainable, positive innovation, yet relying solely on such approaches may disrupt positive innovation. Third, improvement clearly depends upon change, but change always generates new challenges. Quality improvement systems may struggle to keep up with the pace of innovation, yet evaluation of innovation is often too narrowly focused for the system-wide effects of new practices or technologies to be understood. A new recognition of the problems of innovation is proposed and it is argued that new approaches to addressing them are needed

    Problems and promises of innovation: why healthcare needs to rethink its love/hate relationship with the new

    Get PDF
    Innovation is often regarded as uniformly positive. This paper shows that the role of innovation in quality improvement is more complicated. The authors identify three known paradoxes of innovation in healthcare. First, some innovations diffuse rapidly, yet are of unproven value or limited value, or pose risks, while other innovations that could potentially deliver benefits to patients remain slow to achieve uptake. Second, participatory, cooperative approaches may be the best way of achieving sustainable, positive innovation, yet relying solely on such approaches may disrupt positive innovation. Third, improvement clearly depends upon change, but change always generates new challenges. Quality improvement systems may struggle to keep up with the pace of innovation, yet evaluation of innovation is often too narrowly focused for the system-wide effects of new practices or technologies to be understood. A new recognition of the problems of innovation is proposed and it is argued that new approaches to addressing them are needed
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