HealthyGrowth - From niche to volume with integrity and trust

Die Märkte für ökologisch erzeugte Nahrungsmittel unterscheiden sich zwar in den europäischen Ländern. In allen aber ist eine Steigerung des ökologischen Handelsvolumens erwünscht, wobei kleine wie große Vermarkter mit spezifischen Problemen konfrontiert sind. Während kleine Unternehmen oder Initiativen oft an der Verfügbarkeit großer Mengen scheitern, müssen sich große Unternehmen der Herausforderung stellen, den umfassenden Qualitätsanforderungen gerecht zu werden und dem Kunden die Werte ökologisch produzierter Nahrungsmittel glaubhaft zu vermitteln. Das Projekt HEALTHYGROWTH beruht auf der Kooperation von elf Partnern. Das deutsche Team leistet einen Beitrag zu den Arbeitspaketen WP2 bis WP6 und ist verantwortlich für WP7. Die deutschen Fallstudien von mittelgroßen ökologischen Wertschöpfungsketten werden in unterschiedlichen Unternehmen oder Initiativen jeweils mit spezifischen Untersuchungsschwerpunkten stattfinden. Die vergleichende Auswertung der Fallstudien wird thematisch nach Themenfeldern aufgefächert. Diese mehrdimensionale Analyse soll beim Verständnis der Mechanismen wachsender organischer Wertschöpfungsketten helfen. Eine Aufgabe des HNEE-Teams besteht in der Koordination des Transfers von Ergebnissen in Wissenschaft und Praxis. Schlüsselpersonen der Branche werden von Beginn an konsequent eingebunden, um die Praxisrelevanz des Ansatzes und eine effektive Verbreitung der Ergebnisse durch Veröffentlichungen, Seminare usw. zu gewährleisten. Hauptbestandteil der Projektarbeit ist neben den Veröffentlichungen die konsequente Einbindung von Vertretern ökologischer Wertschöpfungsketten. Wissenstransfer und gemeinsame Lernprozesse auf nationaler Ebene und über Ländergrenzen hinweg sind Schwerpunkte im Arbeitspaket WP7, das das deutsche Team leitet. Das deutsche Teilprojekt zielt, ebenso wie das Gesamtprojekt, insbesondere auf den Wissens- und Erfahrungsaustausch ab. Die Verwertung der Ergebnisse besteht vor allem in der Verbreitung von Informationen zu Besonderheiten der Wachstumsprozesse innerhalb der Wertschöpfungskette. Hierzu trägt auch der BLE-Ergebnisflyer bei. HEALTHYGROWTH will Erkenntnisse aus verschiedenen Ländern und Unternehmen bündeln und an die Akteure und ihre Netzwerke weitergeben. Zielgruppen sind nicht nur mittelgroße Bio-Nahrungsmittelhändler, sondern auch Kleinerzeuger und Unternehmen, die sich für neue Formen von Partnerschaften und Kooperationen im ökologischen Nahrungsmittelsektor interessieren. Angaben zur Finanzierung des Projekts finden Sie im Förderkatalog des Bundes unter http://foerderportal.bund.de/foekat/jsp/StartAction.do. Bitte geben Sie in das Suchfeld eine 28 plus das Förderkennzeichen (FKZ) des BÖL-Projektes ein, z.B. 2808OE212 für das BÖL-Projekt mit der FKZ 08OE212

Tour guiding, organisational culture and learning: lessons from an entrepreneurial company

This paper examines the impacts of organisational culture on the learning and development of tour guides. Drawing on a case study of a small entrepreneurial tour company, the paper considers the nature of the organisation's culture, the tours it provides, including their narrative contents and the processes of organisational learning and socialisation. The paper suggests that the development of a learning culture within such an organisation may benefit from the provision of appropriate learning opportunities among the guides and facilitators who coordinate guide development

Workplace mentoring of degree apprentices: developing principles for practice

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to focus on developing a deep understanding of the nature and impact of the workplace mentor role in degree apprenticeships (DAs). It investigates a theoretical model of DA workplace mentoring activity, with findings used to develop a set of principles for supporting the development of effective mentoring practice. Design/methodology/approach: Data underpinning this paper were collected as part of the monitoring and evaluation of the first year of a Chartered Manager DA programme at a post-1992 university. Workplace mentors and mentees were interviewed to explore their experience of mentoring within this programme. Findings: This study found there to be many positive benefits of workplace mentoring for apprentices, their mentors and the organisation. This understanding can be used to support the development of principles for effective mentoring practice. Research limitations/implications: The data support the validity of the proposed model for DA workplace mentoring activity. In order to become a helpful guide to mentors’ planning of areas of support, the model may need to be refined to show the relative importance given to each activity area. The findings of this small-scale study need now to be extended through work with a larger sample. Practical implications: The set of principles offered will be valuable to workplace mentors of degree apprentices across organisational sectors to ensure the quality of delivery and outcomes. Originality/value: This paper contributes to an understanding of the impact of mentoring as a social practice on mentor and apprentice development. Such an understanding has the potential to positively influence the quality of delivery, mentoring practice and thus apprentices’ learning.Peer reviewe

Resourceful leadership: how directors of children’s services improve outcomes for children, full report

Leading for Outcomes is a unique study into senior leadership in children’s services in England, drawing on in-depth primary research with leaders in eight local authorities, and 22 directors of children’s services. The eight local authorities were selected on a range of factors but primarily to represent existing high performers or rapidly improving authorities in terms of outcomes. The research was commissioned by the National College in partnership with C4EO, and completed by a team comprising Deloitte, Navigate and the University of Oxford. The study was completed during 2010. The key concept the Leading for Outcomes research has uncovered is that of the resourceful leader1. This report sets out a definition of resourcefulness and the eight core behaviours of resourceful leaders. It then discusses resourcefulness within three specific contexts that emerged as part of the research: leading change, leading in a time of shock, and managing the corporate and political landscape

Codified-Tacit and General-Specific Knowledge in the division of labour among firms. A study of the Software Industry

This paper addresses the organisation and codification of knowledge in the software industry. It analyses various economic incentives to codification, including the need to improve the productivity and quality of software production processes and to access inter-firm collaborations. The paper examines the experience of four Italian software firms specialised in software packages and services. It compares their capabilities, the main sources of tacit knowledge, their specific incentives to invest in knowledge codification, their usage of formal software development methodologies and quality control systems. Finally, the paper analyses two distinct technological collaborations that two of these firms have recently established.

The Global People competency framework: competencies for effective intercultural interaction

This Competency Framework explains the competencies that are needed for effective intercultural interaction. In contrast to the Life Cycle Model for Intercultural Partnerships (see the Global People Toolbook) which presents the competencies by stage (i.e. key competencies are identified for each stage of a project life cycle), the Competency Framework presents them by clusters. Intercultural competencies can be grouped into four interrelated clusters, according to the aspect of competence they affect or relate to: - Knowledge and ideas - Communication - Relationships - Personal qualities and dispositions We overview these four clusters in Section 2. In Sections 3 – 6, for each competency cluster, we list the key component competencies, along with descriptive explanations of each of them. We also provide case study examples from the eChina-UK Programme to illustrate one or more of the following: - How the competency manifests itself; - Why the competency is important or is needed; - How the competency can be displayed in behaviour; - What problems may occur when the competency is not present. The Competency Framework is thus useful for those who wish to gain a systematic, in-depth understanding of intercultural effectiveness and the competencies need to achieve it

The evolution of pedagogic models for work-based learning within a virtual university

The process of designing a pedagogic model for work-based learning within a virtual university is not a simple matter of using ‘off the shelf’ good practice. Instead, it can be characterised as an evolutionary process that reflects the backgrounds, skills and experiences of the project partners. Within the context of a large-scale project that was building a virtual university for work-based learners, an ambitious goal was set: to base the development of learning materials on a pedagogic model that would be adopted across the project. However, the reality proved to be far more complex than simply putting together an appropriate model from existing research evidence. Instead, the project progressed through a series of redevelopments, each of which was pre-empted by the involvement of a different team from within the project consortium. The pedagogic models that evolved as part of the project will be outlined, and the reasons for rejecting each will be given. They moved from a simple model, relying on core computer-based materials (assessed by multiple choice questions with optional work-based learning), to a more sophisticated model that integrated different forms of learning. The challenges that were addressed included making learning flexible and suitable for work-based learning, the coherence of accreditation pathways, the appropriate use of the opportunities provided by online learning and the learning curves and training needs of the different project teams. Although some of these issues were project-specific (being influenced by the needs of the learners, the aims of the project and the partners involved), the evolutionary process described in this case study illustrates that there can be a steep learning curve for the different collaborating groups within the project team. Whilst this example focuses on work-based learning, the process and the lessons may equally be applicable to a range of learning scenarios

Learning architectures and negotiation of meaning in European trade unions

As networked learning becomes familiar at all levels and in all sectors of education, cross-fertilisation of innovative methods can usefully inform the lifelong learning agenda. Development of the pedagogical architectures and social processes, which afford learning, is a major challenge for educators as they strive to address the varied needs of a wide range of learners. One area in which this challenge is taken very seriously is that of trade unions, where recent large-scale projects have aimed to address many of these issues at a European level. This paper describes one such project, which targeted not only online courses, but also the wider political potential of virtual communities of practice. By analysing findings in relation to Wengers learning architecture, the paper investigates further the relationships between communities of practice and communities of learners in the trade union context. The findings suggest that a focus on these relationships rather than on the technologies that support them should inform future developments