Business Commons^™

Moving Modalities: An Exploration On How Switching Modes Of Reader, Writer And Reviewer Can Enhance Academic Writing Pedagogy., Roisin Donnelly, Claire Mcavinia, Ita Kennelly

Conference papers

For over a decade, the Academic Writing & Publishing (AWP) module has been delivered for academic staff and postgraduate students in the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), now part of the new Technological University Dublin. The module aims to support students to enhance their academic writing and to develop an academic paper to the standard of publication for a peer-reviewed journal of their choice. Module delivery comprises workshops and a range of supports and feedback mechanisms built in to give students opportunities to critically evaluate and develop their own work and to assist in the development of their peers’ writing. …

Digitally Engaged Consumers: A Multi-Level Perspective Of Higher Education Actors And Their Technology Readiness, Treasa Karney, Roisin Vize, Taeshik Gong

Conference papers

Advances in digital technology and innovation have fundamentally changed the way Higher Education (HE) communities, interact, consume and co-create value (Freberg and Merle 2016; Neier and Zayer 2015). However, differences have persisted between the potential of technology enabled learning and the less consistent realities of technology use within university learning and teaching (Henderson et al. 2015). Therefore, a key aim of this research is to examine how technology readiness of students influences their interaction, engagements, and value co-creation with staff. Through applying the lens of value co-creation, i.e. where value is co-created among actors through their active role of engagement, …

The Impact Of Brexit Debates On Irish Exports: A Causality Analysis, Rawayda Abdou, Klavs Ciprikis, Lucia Morales, Damien Cassells

Conference papers

The UK decision to leave the EU has larger implications for Ireland due to its significant exposure to the UK economy. As such a no-deal Brexit scenario raises significant concerns regarding the impact, the magnitude and the lasting effects of the shock to the Irish economy. Leading up to the final weeks before the UK leaves the EU, this study explores the relationship between economic and political uncertainty surrounding Brexit and its potential causal effects to the Irish economy. The agriculture, manufacturing, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors are the focus of attention as they are considered to be the most exposed …

Visions Of The Future In Budgetary Discourse, Ewan Macdonald, Brendan O'Rourke, John Hogan

Conference papers

Whilst there is ample precedent to argue against the common-sense notion that the ideological leanings of political parties are congruent with their implementation of fiscal policy (Boix, 2000; Garrett & Lange, 1991; Hibbs, 1977; Liargovas & Manolas, 2007), there is a relative dearth of research on the role of discourse in shaping fiscal policy with one notable exception by Maatsch (2014). With this in mind, we approach the issue of examining fiscal policy through a fixed, contested and subverted within particular texts” (Howarth, 2005, p. 341). This paper examines how the future is constructed in Irish budget speeches delivered between …

An Exploratory Study Of The Role And Contribution Of University Knowledge Transfer Offices (Ktos) In Knowledge Transfer And Value Creation, Anthony Paul Buckley, Paul Maguire, David Gardiner

Conference papers

Developed European countries place emphasis on innovation as an important growth driver. Higher educational institutions, within these developed countries, actively participate in regional economic initiatives to proactively transfer and commercialise knowledge to business and society. This knowledge transfer is now performed in a more direct way than heretofore and the commercialization remit is now regarded as the Universities 3rd mission. This is in addition to its traditional remits of education and research. This study explores the effectiveness of the University knowledge transfer process and the contribution that knowledge transfer offices play in knowledge transfer and commercialisation (Value creation).

This study …

Investigating The Enduring Fascination With Dublin's Victorian Pubs, James Peter Murphy

Conference papers

Victorian pubs of Dublin have played an integral role in the social, cultural and economic history of Ireland’s capital from their early development in the front rooms and parlours of Dublin homes they are one of the most iconic elements of Irish culture. These pubs have always been a strange mixture of tradition and curiosity which forms an integral part of the rich tapestry of Dublin life dating back to their creation nearly 200 years ago. A proud brewing and distilling tradition of these pubs combined with their natural hospitality and sociability, have all contributed to making the pubs of …

Catering To Diverse Visitor Requirements At Ecclesiastical Heritages: Challenges For Upholding Spiritual Values, Site Authenticity, Integrity And Identity, Vreny Enongene

Conference papers

Tourism to sacred sites is growing exponentially, with these numbers expecting to double by the year 2020 (UNWTO, 2014 and Tourism & More, 2014). According to Alen (2012), 60% of visitors to sacred places in Israel are strictly tourists as opposed to pilgrims. In addition, there is an identified changing nature and demand of these contemporary sacred site visitors, of which the typical faith-based visitor is no exception (Kartal et al., 2015). Thus, catering to the diverse requirements of these contemporary sacred site visitors, to include aspects such as the demand for satisfaction from spiritual renewal services, as well …

The Importance Of Community Engagement For The Development Of Rural Sacred Sites, Vreny Enongene, Kevin Griffin

Conference papers

https://www.thric2018.ie/uploads/6/9/2/5/6925239/thric_conference_proceedings_2018.pdf

According to the partners of sacred places, there is growing evidence of the centrality of sacred places in community life www.sacredplaces.org. Crucial given their regional sustainable economic development potential (Enongene & Griffin, 2016). Thus, for both parties to tap in to these potentials, a collaborative approach, that engages all community stakeholders is essential in addressing their shared problem and providing practical and effective solutions to issues affecting their well-being. Essential given that Community engagement has been acknowledged as a powerful tool in the achievement of long-term sustainable outcomes. To buttress this argument, quite recently, there has been a …

Walking The Paths Of Fr John Sullivan: A Potential Irish Pilgrimage Route And Trail For The Sick And Needy, Vreny Enongene, Kevin Griffin, Tony Kiely

Conference papers

Spiritual tourism is said to be growing in popularity globally, and so is the interest in the development of products and services to meet the needs and expectation of this growing market segment. Scholars are equally interested in the development of niche faith-based markets and products, as evident in the most recent international conference on niche market formation for faith-based tourism that took place in Malta on the 20^th of October 2017. However, it is equally evident on a global scale that destinations that are host to ecclesiastical heritages are increasingly developing and redeveloping new and old products respectively, …

Pushing The Boundaries Of Traditional Methodological Approaches In Conducting Research In Tourism And Social Sciences: A Religious And Pilgrimage Tourism Case Study, Vreny Enongene

Conference papers

The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance and usefulness of non-standardised research methodological approaches to knowing / knowledge development in tourism research, and in the social sciences in general. Crucial in that, extant research efforts have been characterised by stringent laid-down methodological and philosophical assumptions. Concurrently, an extensive review of extant methodological approaches to knowledge development within the religious and pilgrimage tourism scholarship (RPTS) revealed that studies have been guided by generic ontological and epistemological philosophical assumptions. Franklin and Crang (2001, p.6) concurred the above as they observed ‘a tendency for studies of tourism researchers to follow …

Social Contagion And Knowledge Acquisition In Construction Professional Service Firms, Oluwasegun O. Seriki, Roisin Murphy

Conference papers

The construction industry in Ireland, including professional service firms (PSF’s) operating therein, are undergoing a period of change and uncertainty driven by economic, demographic, political and technological factors. While considerable evidence exists demonstrating the relationship between environmental turbulence on organisational decision making, there remains a distinct lack of focus on behavioural patterns affecting decision-making process of construction firms. Social contagion (SC) theory asserts that the spread of ideas, attitudes, or behaviour patterns in a group is achieved through imitation and conformity, and is well established within social sciences research, and is increasingly being used to analyse organisational behaviour. However, limited …

The Wine Tasting Experience: A Profit Generator, James Peter Murphy

Conference papers

The Wine Tasting Experience - A Profit Generator. This conference presentation addressed strategies and advice in relation to how to ideally use wine within your business as a profit generator, it offered various approaches, tools, and themed strategies which can be adopted for use in the hospitality industry. Wine is a multi dimensional beverage which offers infinite opportunities to businesses and as consumers tastes changes businesses operators much also seek new and exciting ways to attract customers to this ancient beverage.

Technological Mediated Applications At Sacred Heritages: Usefulness And Challenges- A Managerial Perspective, Vreny Enongene

Conference papers

The rapid development of technologies introduces smartness to all organisations and communities (Buhalis, & Amaranggana, 2014. P. 553), for which sacred heritages are no exception, as evident in their increasing use of technological mediated applications towards enhancing the visitors experience and data generation. This development in the use of technological applications, has in part been triggered by the identified changing needs and expectations of contemporary sacred site visitors, as well as their importance and role in changing the nature of the consumers expectations and the nature of the visitor’s experience.

Thus, applying these smart tourism concept in addressing the changing …

Stakeholder Involvement: An Identified Invaluable Resource In The Management And Conservation Of Ireland's Natural Religious Heritage Croagh Patrick: Insights And Challenges, Vreny Enongene, Kevin Griffin

Conference papers

This paper seeks to explore how the concept of stakeholder involvement has been applied for the very first time in the management and conservation of the 800 years old Ireland's Holy mountain Croagh Patrick. In doing so, it explores factors that facilitate and hinder the effectiveness of this new-found partnership towards the sustainable management of this sacred natural site, which simultaneously serves as a place of pilgrimage and tourism. Crucial given scholarly demand for greater understanding of the opportunities and barriers that stakeholder involvement may entail, Woodland & Acott (2007), and even more crucial given that routes and directions for …

Secular Authority: Economists In Irish Public Discourse, Joseph K. Fitzgerald, Brendan O'Rourke

Conference papers

This paper explores how the authority of Economics Experts has developed over time in Ireland. The identity of ‘expert’ serves as a powerful authority device for an individual’s discourse (Montgomery 2008). Although the definition of who is considered an expert has become broader and more inclusive (Collins and Evans 2007), the authority derived from the label of expert is usually reserved for Contributory Experts (Collins, Evans, and Weinel 2016). This authority has traditionally allowed such experts to engage with society from a position of authority and prestige that is not afforded to other societal actors. Such authority has been acknowledged …

Working From Home: A Double-Edged Sword, Kathleen Farrell

Conference papers

Flexible work options can be considered a benefit for many people. One type of flexible work option is working from home. Many businesses do provide some form of flexibility for mothers and parents working outside the home but this is influenced by culture and geographic location e.g. Pakistan is slow to embrace working from home policies while in western cultures or in more developed states, there are people who advocate that work from home policies should become the norm. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how working from home can be optimally managed to achieve greater work/ home …

What Lessons Can Be Learned From The Delivery Of The First Building On The Grangegorman Campus Using Building Information Management (Bim)?, Pat O'Sullivan, Avril Behan

Conference papers

There is an acceptance that BIM, via data management, can be integrated with FM to reduce costs during the Operations and Maintenance stage of a project. However, what has not been documented is the ‘on the ground’ reality which can be reviewed as a lessons learnt exercise to improve the implementation of BIM FM for future projects. This case study sets out to explore the realities of a client’s adoption of BIM based upon the actual experience of the Greenway Hub. Rather than relying on anecdotal evidence the research was based upon the real practices and experiences of the Dublin …

Improving Engagement Of Construction Industry Firms In Apprenticeship Training In A Post-Recession Economy, Eoghan Ó Murchadha, Roisin Murphy

Conference papers

The Irish economy is currently experiencing a recovery phase following a ‘lost decade’ of growth due to the severe economic downturn of 2007. While the construction industry in Ireland is recording increased output, and improving rates of employment, in the vital economic and labour market sector of apprenticeship there is a significant lack of engagement. Without employer buy-in to apprenticeship training, there exists potential future skills gaps and lack of efficacy of the construction industry. This increasingly likely possibility is disquieting, not just for the possible impact upon the future of apprenticeship but also for the Irish economy as a …

Memories And The Wine Tourism Experience, Margaret Connolly

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Strategic Management In Irish Construction Professional Service Firms: A Comparative Study Across Professions, Oluwasegun Seriki, Roisin Murphy

Conference papers

The Irish construction industry has undergone substantial change in the past decade. Following a deep, lengthy recession the improving outlook of the construction sector makes the inquiry into strategy within the firms both timely and appropriate. Determining how construction organizations successfully adapt in a highly turbulent industry is critical to ensure survival in a highly cyclical industry sector. Strategizing in construction professional service firms (CPSFs) is not well documented, and there is little understanding of the strategy processes, and implications of these processes in the firms. As part of an ongoing study, the strategic management process in CPSFs is reviewed …

A Multimodal Discourse Analysis Exploration Of A Crowdfunding Entrepreneurial Pitch., Victoria Doyle, Olivia Freeman, Brendan K. O`Rourke

Conference papers

This paper explores multimodal discourse analysis (Kress and Van Leeuwen, 2001) as a methodology to address the research question: How are environmentally conscious entrepreneurial ventures constituted in online investment crowd-funding pitches and the communications that surround them? While discourse may be realised in many different ways (Kress and Van Leeuwen, 2001 p.5, Bezemer and Jewit, 2010), multimodal discourse analysis focuses on analysing and describing a repertoire of meaning making resources which individuals use in various contexts (visual, gestural, written, actional etc.). Broadband internet and associated technologies mean that these crowdfunding pitches and many other genres tend to be much richer …

Using Insider Action Research In The Study Of Digital Entrepreneurial Processes: A Pragmatic Design Choice?, Kisito Futonge

Conference papers

This paper proposes that insider action research (IAR), with its iterative and emergent form of inquiry, presents a pragmatic design choice for understanding the nature of uncertainty surrounding the digital entrepreneurial process. Since entrepreneurship in the digital context is a highly dynamic and fluid process, IAR appears well-suited for use in researching it. Yet, the paucity of application in entrepreneurship research in general, and less so in the emerging digital space, is rather puzzling. Thus, using a ‘live’ case study in the e-learning domain, this paper contributes by shining light on how this design choice might be set up and …

An Investigation In The Methodological Approaches Used In Doctoral Business Research In Ireland, Paul Mc Manus, Sue Mulhall, Mohamed Ragab, Amr Arisha

Conference papers

The sizeable increase in doctoral business research in Ireland over past decades is characterised by a diversity of research paradigms and the methods applied. To achieve research objectives, doctoral researchers should identify the methodological framework of inquiry that they will use to address and answer their research question. This involves taking a stance on divergent philosophical assertions such as ontology and epistemology, which reflect how they view the world. Researchers often proceed to select what is believed to be the best- suited research approach – either qualitative, quantitative, or a mixture between them – with their corresponding subset of data …

Embedding Ethical And Sustainable Thinking In The Entrepreneurial Mindset, Kathleen Farrell

Conference papers

“Entrepreneurship education is essential not only to shape the mindsets of young people but also to provide the skills, knowledge and attitudes that are central to developing an entrepreneurial culture” (European Commission, 2016, b p. 9). The recent financial crisis has focused our attention more on the importance of ethics in business and management. EntreComp, the European Commission Competence Framework (2016) defines entrepreneurship as a transversal competence. The research question has to do with whether the European Commission is right in proposing ethical and sustainable thinking as an entrepreneurial competence. What support is there in the literature for putting forward …

Heterogeneity In The Speed Of Adjustment To Target Leverage: A Uk Study, James Fitzgerald, James Ryan, Sheila Killian

Conference papers

Responding to the need to address heterogeneity in the speed of adjustment (SOA) to target leverage in a manner that reflects the fractional nature of leverage, we estimate SOAs across sub-samples of UK firms using the Dynamic Panel Fractional estimator (DPF). Using firm risk as a categorising variable, we show that riskier firms tend to adjust to target leverage at a faster rate, suggesting opportunity costs of being away from target leverage are higher for riskier firms. We also demonstrate the bias in SOAs as estimated using a model that does not account for the fractional nature of leverage, and …

An Investigation Of The Factors Influencing Consumer Wine Choice, Margaret Connolly

Conference papers

No abstract provided.

Seasonal Recruiting Policies For Table Grape Packing Operations: A Hybrid Simulation Modelling Study, Mohammed Mesabbah, Siham Rahoui, Mohamed Af Ragab, Amr Mahfouz, Amr Arisha

Conference papers

The packing process is a critical post-harvesting activity in table grape industry. Workers in packing stations are hired under seasonal contracts because of product seasonality and operations labor intensity. Seasonal workers, however, are usually characterized by inconsistent performance, high turnover and experience variation which leads to low productivity and high waste. Few mathematical models were used for evaluating fresh products packing operations, but in a deterministic nature which hinders the complexity and dynamics of the business processes. Hence, a hybrid Discrete Event Simulation (DES) and Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) are employed to evaluate a set of seasonal recruiting policies in a …

The Evolution Of Ethics In The Irish Real Estate Profession, Lorna Colley, Lloyd Scott

Conference papers

Since the Economic Collapse of 2008 much discussion and analysis of the role of ethics in the financial sector in Ireland has occurred. However little if any of this focus has been on the real estate profession. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the Irish Real Estate Profession deals with the issue of ethics. How has this relationship evolved over time? Has the Irish political context influenced the approach to ethics on a societal level and has this fed into the profession’s approach? The role of ethics education is also examined in current Irish real estate qualifications, …

A Career In Tour Guiding: A Case Study Of Dublin, Ireland, Detta Melia

Conference papers

Tourist guides are the essential interface between a tourism destination and its visitors, and are very much responsible for the overall impression of the destination and satisfaction offered. However, of the small amount of literature published, very few studies have asked tourist guides their views and opinions, or have built up a profile of the tourist guide. This paper attempts to redress the balance. This study, concentrating on professional tourist guides in Dublin, Ireland.

Potential threats and challenges to the future of the industry are explored, particularly threats from unqualified guides and from the introduction of information technology (IT). Primary …

Applications Of Optimisation In Serious Games Design: An Integrated Framework, Ayman Tobail, Amr Arisha

Conference papers

It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the need to get out of the traditional learning methods especially in complex fields such as operations management (OM) and supply chain management (SCM). Simulation-based serious games have been identified as a promising learning tool to leverage the learning ability for the current generation known as virtual era generation. Literature lacks for formal guidelines to design and implement a simulation-based serious game to achieve learning, entertaining, keeping an active instructor role, and collecting real-time learning efficiency indicators. This study proposes a comprehensive framework and implementation for simulation-based serious game AUSUM (AUtomobile SUpply chain …