Digital Commons Network^™

Re-Imagining Specialized Stem Academies: Igniting And Nurturing ‘Decidedly Different Minds,’ By Design, Stephanie Pace Marshall

Stephanie Pace Marshall, Ph.D.

This article offers a personal vision and conceptual design for reimagining specialized science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academies designed to nurture decidedly different STEM minds and ignite a new generation of global STEM talent, innovation, and entrepreneurial leadership. This design enables students to engage actively in the authentic work, modes of inquiry, and practices that distinguish four STEM learning cultures, environments, and communities: (a) Inquiry and Research Laboratory and Interdisciplinary Learning Center—develops disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and inquiry-based thinking; (b) Innovation Incubator and Design Studio—ignites innovative and design-based thinking; (c) Global Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Institute—nurtures change leadership and systems-based thinking; …

The Push And Pull Of Innovation: A Start-Up Case Study, Karen Nicholas

Karen R. Nicholas

Mobilizing Human Resources To Enhance Business Innovation, Case Study: Strategy & Innovation Department In Vodafone Egypt, Zeinab Shawky Younis, Randa Elbedawy

Business Administration

The uprising Egyptian revolution January 2011 triggered most organizations in the Egyptian society to revise strategies to invade markets vigorously with innovative plans in order to survive in such unforeseen economic conditions. As change is the process by which the future invades our life, most organizations in Egypt nowadays are trying to pave the way for this change allowing for more innovative patterns that cannot be guided without the support of the human resources policies and practices. The importance of this study arises from its contribution at both the academic and the practical levels as it reflects not only the …

Fostering Innovation Through Cultural Change, Julia Leong

Proceedings of the IATUL Conferences

The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate a range of approaches to promoting innovative thought and action which can be applied in a variety of organizational contexts. It describes strategies adopted by one large academic library which sought to increase employee engagement and levels of innovation. Included is an overview of the background situation, a description of cultural change activities undertaken, information on recent provision of a suite of practical innovation process tools, and reference to relevant literature.

RMIT University has developed a framework (leadRMIT) which seeks to strengthen leadership capability and confidence and lift the engagement and performance …

Emerging Interorganizational Structures In The Australian Wine Industry: Implications For Smes, D. K. Aylward, Michael Zanko

Michael Zanko

This paper discusses the globalization of the wine industry in terms of such issues as global production, distribution, technology transfer and branding. It also examines the increasing focus on localization and cluster development in light of the industry’s current rationalization. The paper argues that with such reconfiguration, ‘New’ and ‘Old World’ distinctions are blurring and may disappear. Furthermore, as the wine landscape evolves, regional cluster-based interorganizational domains are forming, along with the emergence of regional branding and the decline of a homogeneous Australian level industry. It is contended that these domains are essential in securing an ongoing role for SMEs.

The Politics Of Human Resource Management In Implementing Process Innovation, Michael Zanko, Richard Badham, Maren Schubert

Michael Zanko

This paper analyses a longitudinal case study of organizational and human resource management (HRM) dimensions in the implementation of an approach to product development (concurrent engineering (CE)) in a multinational firm engaged in defence electronics. Most aspects of managing product development in CE are linked to people management. Yet in this case, other than project team structure, prescriptive HRM dimensions of CE received little attention in the implementation process. This failure to address the 'formal' prescribed HRM issues is explained by a multilayer analysis of the play of power and political lobbying among 'stakeholders' over time: the HRM function, key …

Humanistic Redesign And Technological Politics In Organizations, R. Badham, Karin Garrety, Christina Kirsch

Karin Garrety

The political nature of technology design and implementation is explicitly addressed in human centered projects to introduce technologies that support job enrichment, group autonomy and industrial democracy. Yet the political meaning of such projects does not simply manifest itself in pure form from the methods employed or the intentions of the humanistic actors but, rather, from the complex configuration of these and other factors present in the design and implementation context. This paper illustrates this theme in an analysis of a case study human centered project. It argues that an improved understanding of the configurational politics surrounding such projects is …

Extension's Future: Time For Disruptive Innovation, Nancy K. Franz, Ronald A. Cox

The Journal of Extension

Extension has been considered change averse by some scholars and practitioners, and they claim this inhibits organizational growth and relevance. Pockets of individuals and teams across the nation have worked independently as entrepreneurs to enhance Extension's relevance by introducing organizational processes and programs that greatly differ from past practices. However, every Extension system, team, and worker has a role to play in the disruptive innovation process. This may include exploring, implementing, or evaluating disruptive organizational innovations, or removing barriers, resourcing, or supporting a culture of innovation to enhance relevance and sustainability.

Learning And Innovation In The Context Of Process-Focused Management Practices: The Case Of An Environmental Management System, Deepa Aravind

Publications and Research

Adoption of process-focused management practices has been associated with inertia and rigidity in adopting firms. By drawing on the literature on routines and using survey data from 192 ISO 14001 certified facilities in the United States, I find that change catalysis or a deep form of learning which presents the opportunity for innovation can happen in this context. I also examine the internal and external determinants of change catalysis. By doing so I contribute to a better understanding of how process-focused management practices can be a source of innovation within firms.

Concept Design – An Innovative Approach To Learning: The Case Of Saint James’ Way As A Playground For Meaningful Learning Experiences, Florencia Cueto Pedrotti

Journal of Tourism Consumption and Practice

Co-creation is increasingly being used as a tool for companies to position their products in the market. The aim is to enhance a dialogue with customers and enhance firm-customer value. In the experience industry co-creation is also increasingly linked with another major trend: storytelling. The aim of this narrative technique is to build a story around a business, a product or a destination. The purpose of this paper is to discuss and highlight the application of these techniques, together with experiential learning, in order to generate a new point of view on the learning process. These techniques are applied to …

Measuring Entrepreneurship In The Academic Heartland, Jonathan Gagliardi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT

A Study Of Early Adopters Of Innovation, John B. Mcwhorter

All ETDs from UAB

This research study focused on identification of environmental and organizational variables that influence the rate of adoption of administrative innovation in organizations, and specifically hospitals that have adopted nurse magnet programs. The study identified both organizational and environmental factors as statistically significant among early adopters of magnet programs in hospitals, with organizational influences stronger than environmental influences in determining the rate of adoption of innovation. Organizational complexity, size, control of domain, presence of a competitor, and available resources were the factors identified as influencing the early adoption of innovation among hospitals.