Creative Research: The Theory and Practice of Research for the Creative Industries
Abstract
Creative Research helps readers define their research problem, decide on an appropriate research process and then undertake the project.
Throughout the book, Hilary Collins introduces and analyzes different techniques and procedures for collecting and analyzing a variety of data. The skills necessary to promote the effectiveness and validity of research within the creative industries are highlighted in case studies, all of which also demonstrate what a well-designed research project can achieve.
New to the second edition are detailed explorations of design thinking and ethnography as well as all new case studies on emerging tools and photographic enthnography.
... This approach also limits the researcher's activities regarding data collection and analysis, which are usually observable and quantifiable. Hence, the positivism paradigm in philosophy followed the suggestion that only genuine knowledge gained through observation is trustworthy (Collins, 2010). Furthermore, the position of the positivism paradigm, as explained above, appears to have a contrary opinion according to Aliyu et al. (2014), who argued that positivism lacks the necessary foundation for research and seems to be weak. ...
... 3. Research findings in positivism research are found to be only descriptive, lacking insight into in-depth research issues (Collins, 2010). ...
... This research paradigm is based on the idea that regards science as the only medium of learning about the truth(Collins, 2010). The positivism paradigm as explained byAliyu et al. (2014) indicates that both real and factual events can be observed and studied both scientifically and empirically through investigation and analysis. ...
E-Government services offer a great deal of potential to improve government activities and citizen support. However, there is a lack of research covering E-Government services at the local government level, particularly in developing countries. However, implementing successful E-Service technology in this part of the world will not come without its barriers considering the unstable and fragile economies in most developing countries. The research aim is to identify the barriers facing E-Service adoption and implementation at a local environment level, using Nigeria as a case example. This thesis adopts an interpretive paradigm and uses action research. It consists of a large field study in Nigeria (interviews), an online survey of government officials, online focus groups, and analyses government documents and E-Service initiatives. A structured literature review method consisted of sifting through 3,245 papers. The main theoretical tools used in this thesis are the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory and the theory of change.
... Experts, including Best (2011), Collins (2017), Creswell and Creswell (2017), Hutchinson and Barrett (2019), and Mejia-Perez (2020), have dedicated themselves to studying the nature and philosophy of research knowledge, such as the ontology, epistemology, and worldviews (e.g. positivism, constructivism, and pragmatism), research approaches (e.g. ...
... Many experts, including Bryman (2015), Collins (2017), andCreswell (2013), have classified research worldviews into several categories. The categories are 'positivism', 'constructivism', 'pragmatism', and 'transformative'. ...
... The three former categories are commonly regarded as representative worldviews when building theories or models (Best, 2011;Niglas, 2001;Saunders, 2011) and thus are discussed in this paper. The three worldviews can be approached from the viewpoint of 'ontology'; how a matter and its reality exist, and 'epistemology'; how a matter and its reality are perceived (Collins, 2017;Creswell and Creswell, 2017;Mertens, 2014). ...
In a research process, the inductive and deductive reasoning approach has shortcomings in terms of validity and applicability, respectively. Also, the objective-oriented reasoning approach can output findings with some of the two limitations. That meaning, the reasoning approaches do have flaws as a means of methodically and reliably answering research questions. Hence, they are often coupled together and formed a strong basis for an expansion of knowledge. However, academic discourse on best practice in selecting multiple reasonings for a research project is limited. This paper highlights the concept of a circular reasoning process of which a reasoning approach is complemented with one another for robust research findings. Through a strategic sequence of research methodologies, the circular reasoning process enables the capitalisation of strengths and compensation of weaknesses of inductive, deductive, and objective-oriented reasoning. Notably, an extensive cycle of the circular reasoning process would provide a strong foundation for embarking into new research, as well as expanding current research.
... It also identifies the legal framework for protecting ICH and its values at a broader level, such as "IP and IP rights" and more specific ones, such as "digital copyright" or "moral rights". Issues frequently discussed by scholars are ICH's IP protection per se (Collins, 2018;Gibson, 2011) or from unregulated use, alteration and degradation (Scher, 2002), or misappropriation (Adewumi, 2022;Nwabueze, 2017). ...
... However, IP regulations are also shown to be grounded in factors other than morality (Lea, 2006). In the case of former colonies, for instance, copyright is not only a way to reaffirm pre-colonial identities (Collins, 2018), but also a tool for economic development through the equitable sharing of any benefits derived from allowing access to/use of copyright protected resources (Hansen, 2011;Purwandoko et al., 2020;Wanda George, 2010). Nevertheless, few policies or management protocols have been put in place to implement these regulations (Nwabueze, 2013;Singh et al., 2013), and the situation continues to be highly complex and uncertain (Beamsley, 1999;Bock, 2011;Conley & Bemelmans, 1997;Oruç, 2022). ...
As part of their evolving social and digital mission, museums are tasked with fostering sustainability and inclusion throughout the physical-digital continuum and increasingly focus on accessible, participatory and representative culture. While openness is key in the service of society, museums face an open culture dilemma as copyright complicates their decision-making. Despite the topic’s relevance, research is limited: little has been done to integrate the management and copyright domains, and the legal viewpoint predominates. This theoretical study adopts an interdisciplinary perspective to shed light on the open culture dilemma affecting museum strategies and practices. These aspects are closely intertwined with ethical issues and reveal contrasting perspectives within managerial and copyright frameworks. Building on convergence-divergence discourses on openness/closure of culture in these disciplines, the authors designed an exploratory matrix of approaches to open culture management in relation to copyright in museums to be operationalised and tested through empirical analysis.
... (2) Disagree; (3) Neither agree nor disagree; (4) Agree; and (5) Strongly agree. Collins (2010) states that Likert scales are excellent for gathering participants' thoughts on diverse statements. ...
... Out of the 150 distributed questionnaires by hand to construction professionals randomly selected in Abuja, 134 were returned, and 119 were considered valid for the study, with a response rate of 79.5%. According to Collins (2010), the response rate gives enough data for the study. Criteria for valid responses were based on; all sections, and questions were fully answered. ...
The construction industry is vital to the global economy but struggles with communication-related issues that hinder its productivity. However, the construction industry is faced with communication challenges affecting the industry’s productivity. This research aims to assess the barriers to effective communication in the Nigerian construction industry (NCI), measure their significance, and develop a tailored solution to overcome them. The research utilised a quantitative approach, and the data were analysed using descriptive (mean ranking) and inferential statistics (factor analysis). The sample size was estimated using the Cochran formula and previous studies’ judgement. The questionnaires were administered to a sample of 150 construction professionals in Abuja, Nigeria, who were randomly selected based on predefined criteria. One hundred thirty-four (134) were collected, and 119 were considered for further analysis. The questionnaire data were analysed using SPSS. The findings show that 95% of the communication barriers identified in the NCI are statistically significant and critically impact the communication processes in the NCI. Unclear objectives and instructions (MIS = 4.39; SD = 0.871) were found to be the most statistically significant, and religion issues were the only factor not statistically significant. This implies that religion (MIS = 3.01; SD = 0.612) is not a critical barrier to effective communication in the NCI. The factor analysis revealed four barriers to effective communication (Management Related, Employee Related, Organisation Related, and Work Related). This study contributes significantly to the body of knowledge by understanding the obstacles preventing effective communication in the Nigerian construction sector. The study provided a solid background for future work on communication in the construction industry. The study also provided recommendations such as creating a diverse and inclusive workplace with defined goals, diversity incentives, monitoring, advanced communication technologies, strong leadership, teamwork, and work-life balance to improve communication in the construction industry.
... Furthermore, in this domain, the researcher is likely to have a restricted role mainly because he can only collect the data and interpret it objectively. As a result, research implying positivist stance attain observable and quantifiable findings that are valid and reliable (Collins, 2010). Additionally, positivists rely on quantifiable observations that eventually formulate a statistical analysis of the accumulated data sets. ...
... Moreover, positivism, being an epistemological stance, is intrinsically linked to objectivism being an ontological stance. In other words, it consists of an ontological outlook of the world, which encompasses observable and discrete elements alongside events that interact in a regular and observable manner (Collins, 2010). ...
Scarcity appeals have been widely utilized in marketing, yet academic research has predominantly concentrated on the scarcity of products depicted within advertisements rather than the scarcity of the advertisements themselves. The emergence of scarce advertisements, such as one-time view ads on popular social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, has underscored the significance of investigating ad scarcity. This thesis pioneers the exploration of the impact of ad scarcity on viewers' attention and recall, addressing a notable gap in existing literature.
Through three experimental studies, this research supports the hypothesis that ad scarcity positively influences individuals' attention to and recall of an advertisement's content. Furthermore, it identifies boundary conditions affecting this positive effect, specifically focusing on personal traits like Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and Social Media Intensity levels, as well as the influence of a visible countdown timer. Importantly, the thesis reveals that the positive impact of ad scarcity extends beyond the immediate scarce ad, influencing the reception of subsequent ads that are not scarce.
This investigation significantly enriches our understanding of scarcity within the context of marketing and contributes valuable insights to the broader discourse on social media marketing. It not only highlights the effects of ad scarcity but also delves into the psychological and contextual factors that modulate these effects. The findings offer both theoretical and practical implications, suggesting new avenues for marketers to engage audiences and enhance ad memorability.
... This study employed interpretive paradigm which is concerned with understanding the social phenomenon as it is from subjective experiences of individuals to build the meaning. As opposed to measurement, meaning is built from interaction with participants (by interviews or observations), relying very much on a relationship between the researcher and participants and it is developed by people while interacting with the environment (Collins, 2010;Mackenzie & Knipe, 2006;Snape & Spencer, 2003). This belief calls for researchers to find meaning from participants' perspectives. ...
... These ex-prisoners were involved in prison education while serving their sentences. I viewed ex-prisoners' understanding to prison education as subjective and multiple, gained through their interaction with the prison environment (Collins, 2010;Mackenzie & Knipe, 2006;Snape & Spencer, 2003). With this view, as a researcher, I sought information related to their involvement in prison education from their point of view as ex-prisoners. ...
This qualitative case study discusses the contribution of prison education on prisoners’ rehabilitation through a change of frames of references. The study addresses one key research question: Does prison education in Tanzania contribute to prisoners’ perspective transformation? In this study, one lens through which I view prison education is that of perspective transformation, which enables individuals to critically reflect upon and change their previous frames of references for the better. This article draws ideas from Mezirow’s ‘perspective transformation’ and discusses the connections between prison education and rehabilitation of prisoners. A snowball technique helped to locate two ex-prisoners who attended prison education, and they were individually interviewed. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. This study indicates that the two ex-prisoners had undergone a perspective transformation. Hence, it could be argued that prison education can transform prisoners. From this perspective, the study calls for prisons to expand educational access to prisoners.
... As a philosophy, positivism adheres to the view that only "factual" knowledge gained through observation, including measurement, is trustworthy. In positivism studies the role of the researcher is limited to data collection and interpretation in an objective way (Collins, 2010). In other words, the researcher is an objective analyst and he/she distances himself or herself from personal values in conducting the study. ...
... This approach aims to exclude a researcher's own values when conducting research, making the observations and interpretations as unbiased as possible. To achieve objectivity and neutrality during the inquiry process, researchers should use scientific methods of gathering data (Collins, 2010). In the current research data was collected by At the methodological level, positivists assume that the only acceptable method to generate valid knowledge is through the use of quantitative research methods such as experiments, quasi-experiments, exploratory and analytical models, and case studies (Crowther & Lancaster, 2008). ...
Severe COVID-19 can result in multiorgan dysfunction, with the lungs being the most commonly affected and prominent organ. Recent studies suggest that an exaggerated immune response characterized by a cytokine storm may play a crucial role in the extensive organ damage observed in this disease. Additionally, COVID-19 patients often exhibit hypercoagulability, with a high incidence of thrombosis and a higher-than-expected failure rate of anticoagulation therapy. While macrovascular thrombosis is frequently observed, the presence of extensive microvascular thromboses, as reported in several case series and studies, raises the possibility of Thrombotic Microangiopathy (TMA) contributing to the thrombotic and multiorgan complications associated with COVID-19. Identifying TMA promptly and addressing the underlying pathophysiology may potentially improve outcomes for critically ill patients.
... Interpretivism is related to the philosophical perspective of idealism and is used to combine several approaches, such as social constructivism, phenomenology, and hermeneutics, which reject the objectivist concept that meaning exists in the world irrespective of awareness (Collins, 2010). According to the interpretivist method, it is vital for the researcher to understand differences between people. ...
This thesis focuses on self-planned communities and aims at addressing external and internal representations of informal settlements, as well as the role of the everyday residents’ actions in terms of community creation and space use. These actions are discussed, emphasizing the disparity between how this informal settlement is externally perceived and how it functions. In doing so, the research addresses the case of the informal settlement of Ezbet Khairallah in Cairo, Egypt. By elaborating on secondary data analysis, qualitative interviews, field observations, and photographs, the thesis investigates two perspectives over the area: an external one, relating to authorities and outsiders, and an internal one, relating to residents and members of NGOs, portraying the residents of informal settlements as city dwellers that are part of the overall urban society. Informality is a global phenomenon that has existed throughout history and across civilizations. In many developing countries, urban informality accounts for a substantial portion, if not all, of employment and housing. Nevertheless, negative media depictions of informal areas associated with poverty, disease, disorder, or crime grow over time to encompass the entire location and the people associated with it, resulting in stigmatizing and marginalizing these areas, affecting the future of their residents.
... Similarly, Clark (2017) explained that interpretivism permits a subjective perspective on human behaviour study. Subsequently, interpretivism strives to include diversity in the information acquired, which can lead to the realization that research participants will not provide broad interpretations (Scotland, 2012;Collins, 2010). As this study aims to observe the nature of collaboration in Grade 6 Natural Science and Technology robotics and coding group projects, principles of interpretivism will guide the researcher in observing participants while collaborating using robotics and coding in their group projects. ...
Advances in technologies in the Fourth Industrial Revolution have seen schools include robotics and coding in the existing curricula, requiring teachers to reconsider their teaching and learning methodologies for incorporating new information into existing curricula. Collaborative Learning, as one of these strategies, require learners to work together, using the resources made available to jointly solve problems. Using unfamiliar technology in Collaborative Learning activities such as robotics, adds complexity to learners' learning in
smaller groups. The aim of the study was to determine the nature of collaboration in Grade 6 Natural Science and Technology group projects that include robotics technologies. This study is informed by the Computer-Supportive Collaborative Learning as a conceptual
framework, where learners can interact and engage in smaller groups using technology such as robotics as mediating tools. Following a qualitative research design, 40 leaners participated in groups of 5 to complete collaborative project-based learning tasks. Each of these sessions were observed and video recorded. Seven teachers were purposively sampled from four participating schools and participated in semi-structured interviews to
capture their observations of learner collaboration in Natural Science and Technology Gr 6 classes. Findings indicate that collaboration was typified by high energy, where learners use physical gestures and freely show their emotions when working on projects-based tasks. Learners engaged effectively in verbal interactions as they brainstorm ideas to raise innovative ideas while engaging in active discussions. They remained focused and are more willing to share ideas to support those that were struggling. A clear division of labour emerged early in the task with a team leader that naturally assumed responsibility for keeping the task on track. As such, this study underscores the importance of incorporating robotics technology into learners' group projects to increase their understanding of subject knowledge and allow opportunities to develop 21st-century skills.
Keywords:
Collaborative learning, project-based learning, 21st Century skills, robotics and coding, robotics kit
... The questionnaire was based on a five-point Likert scale, which allowed for collecting respondents' level of agreement (5-strongly agree, 4-agree, 3-neutral, 2-disagree, 1-strongly disagree). The Likert scales are ideal for defining respondents' thoughts on various statements (Collins, 2010). ...
Purpose
This study examines the barriers impeding the implementation of circular economy (CE) practices in the Nigerian architecture, engineering, construction and operation (AECO) industry across diverse regions of Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts a quantitative approach using a five-Likert scale questionnaire (Google Forms), utilizing various analytical tools, encompassing descriptive and inferential statistics. This methodological approach allows for a multifaceted exploration of the intricacies surrounding the barriers to circular CE.
Findings
The study identifies and examines 24 CE barriers which are determined to be significant to the implementation of CE. These barriers were categorized into four categories: “Economic”, “Market and Information”, “Policy and Operational” and “ product development”.
Research limitations/implications
The adopted sampling technique may restrict the generalizability of the findings within and beyond the selected regions. Furthermore, while the analytical methods offer a comprehensive analysis, they may not capture the nuanced intricacies that qualitative methodology could provide. However, the findings can be applied to other developing countries with characteristics similar to those of the Nigerian construction industry.
Practical implications
The study’s findings are significant for stakeholders such as policymakers, industry and academia. By elucidating CE-specific barriers, the research facilitates the formulation of targeted and tailored strategies, fostering the integration of CE principles in the Nigerian construction industry.
Originality/value
This study presents novel insights into the barriers hindering the implementation of CE in the Nigerian construction industry. Offering tailored strategies and categorizing barriers into clusters adds a unique perspective to CE literature, particularly in developing countries.
... Digital art can be used in the packaging design of cultural and creative products through the creative design of images, sound effects, and interactive effects to give people a pleasant feeling and show cultural connotations. Through multi-sensory emotional communication and interaction with consumers, it allows users to change their roles, actively feel and experience the connotation of the product in an immersive way, and trigger emotional resonance [7][8]. For example, through modern technological methods, the production and delivery of traditional cultural symbols so that consumers feel the history, culture, aesthetics, customs, and other connotations of these cultural symbols, so as to produce emotional resonance and to improve the added value of the product and cultural value. ...
Combined with the modern development form of traditional cultural and creative design, this paper proposes to use digital art elements to assist traditional cultural and creative design. The symbols of cultural and creative design are extracted using digital-assisted design technology, and the grayscale image extraction method is chosen to process the images of cultural and creative design. Then, combined with the YOLO v3 algorithm, CMT algorithm, and spatial mapping to realize three-dimensional tracking of real objects and real-time tracking interactions in mixed reality, adding digitally assisted experience of cultural symbols. With that, the theoretical model of digital art elements and traditional cultural and creative design is designed, and the procedural method of the entire cultural and creative design is analyzed. Online shopping consumer evaluations are selected, high-frequency words are classified, and consumers’ emotional tendencies are analyzed as well. The comprehensive scores of digital art and cultural and creative products are calculated using sense-quality evaluations. Consumers’ positive and negative emotions accounted for 75.72% and 17.49%, respectively, with the general negative emotion field accounting for the highest proportion of 10.54% and the medium and high negative emotion fields accounting for a lower proportion. It can be seen that the response of digital art elements to the cultural and creative design market is better, and its innovative design has a certain consumer market.
... This study employs a rigorous and convincing methodology that integrates human interest as a qualitative approach to data collection, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the research topic. The philosophical foundation of interpretivism, which includes social constructivism, phenomenology and hermeneutics, was deliberately chosen to provide valuable insights into the complex nature of the remittance industry (Collins, 2018). ...
Purpose
This study employs an interpretivist approach to investigate how blockchain technology can transform the remittance industry.
Design/methodology/approach
We collected data from blockchain experts with extensive experience, compellingly demonstrating the revolutionary impact of blockchain technology on the remittance sector.
Findings
Despite experiencing rapid growth, the global remittance sector still faces challenges such as high costs and lengthy transaction times. However, blockchain technology, known for disrupting emerging industries, offers a decentralized and secure mechanism for containing, storing and managing information. By leveraging rapid block confirmations, blockchain reduces settlement times in remittance transactions, enabling value transfers between parties with just a crypto wallet.
Research limitations/implications
The implications of this study are profound for theorists, as it validates existing theoretical frameworks, identifies specific pain points and explores exciting opportunities presented by blockchain technology. Additionally, we provide a roadmap for future research and innovation, bridging theory and practice and setting the stage for advancement, fostering knowledge, innovation and the successful integration of blockchain technology in the remittance industry.
Originality/value
Analysis highlights a unanimous consensus among experts regarding the transformative potential of blockchain technology in the remittance industry. This consensus serves as a strong impetus for practitioners to swiftly adopt blockchain-based solutions, capitalizing on opportunities such as stable coin issuance, elimination of intermediaries in foreign exchange trading, access to liquidity and the exploration of new business models. Successfully addressing challenges like congestion and limited reach will ensure seamless integration
... A structured questionnaire (five Likert-scale), developed through Google Forms, served as the quantitative data collection tool. Likert scales are adequate for collecting participants' opinions on different views (Collins, 2018). This approach is considered cost-effective and easy to reach a broader range of respondents. ...
Trust and transparency are pivotal factors for the successful functioning of the construction industry, and their absence can lead to many challenges. This study delves into the context of the Nigerian construction industry to explore the impediments to trust and transparency and develop strategies for improvements. The study adopts a mixed-methods research to comprehensively examine the factors affecting trust and transparency using semi-structured interviews and structured questionnaires. These factors were categorised into four clusters: "Communication and Information Sharing", "Ethical and Integrity Issues", "Technological and Operational Challenges", and "Project-specific and Security Concerns" and validated by experts before administration of the surveys. The interview data was thematically analysed, while the questionnaire was analysed using partial least square structural equation modelling. The findings underscore the detrimental effects of inadequate communication protocols, ethical lapses, technological advancement resistance, and project data security vulnerabilities. Consequently, the study proposes comprehensive strategies, including establishing clear communication protocols, reinforcing ethical frameworks, embracing technological innovations, and implementing robust security measures. These strategies aim to enhance information sharing, foster ethical compliance, improve operational efficiency, and safeguard critical project data, fostering a culture of trust and transparency within the Nigerian construction industry.
... A closed-ended questionnaire was selected for its ability to obtain pertinent responses from a vast survey sample and its cost-effective administration costs (Gilham, 2015). The survey collected a total of 148 responses from the 200 students enrolled in the online course, with 128 of these responses deemed reliable for subsequent analysis (Collins, 2018;Oke et al., 2023b). According to Yin (2009) recommended that for SEM, the sample size should be at least 100 or more to achieve reliable results. ...
Purpose
The engineering courses offered in Somali universities attract many students, ranging between 300 and 500 every semester, making the management and delivery of the course challenging. The increasing popularity of massive open online courses (MOOCs) has led to rapid growth in enrollment, posing difficulties in effectively managing and delivering content to large volumes of learners. To this end, this study aimed to explore the influence of MOOC implementation factors on learners’ continuance intention and satisfaction to provide insights that can enhance the learning experience and ensure long-term engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
The study utilized a survey approach based on an extensive literature review to collect data on the challenges faced by Somali universities in managing and delivering engineering courses. The survey included a series of questions, and 148 responses were collected from students enrolled in different programs. The collected data were analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling and deep neural network approaches.
Findings
The result demonstrated that MOOC implementation factors, including course design quality, instructor reputation, self-paced flexibility, information relevance, platform usability and student support services, significantly affect students’ continuance intention and satisfaction. Therefore, the study recommends universities should enhance MOOC implementation factors to improve the quality of teaching and increase students’ continuance intention to study in a MOOC environment.
Originality/value
The study provides empirical evidence on how MOOC implementation factors affect the level of satisfaction and continuance intention of engineering students. It suggests that the findings could be useful for university management and lecturers to increase teaching and learning quality in the course and develop new strategies and approaches that suit modern-day learners. The study also aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of class delivery and improve student engagement in the learning process.
... To carry out this research, I used my lens for looking at the world view was none other than Interpretive Research Design. I selected interpretivism as a research paradigm to carry out this study as it is "associated with the philosophical position of idealism, and is used to group together diverse approaches, including social constructionism, phenomenology, and hermeneutics; approaches that reject the objectivist view that meaning resides within the world independently of consciousness" (Collins, 2010). As Neuman (2015) emphasizes the social reality is what people perceive it to be, I planned to use it to produce meaning and actions of English language teachers from my research site who joined school-based training. ...
Professional Development
... This philosophy advocates for qualitative analysis over quantitative analysis. The reasoning behind interpretivism is that social actors are different, and these differences should be understood and appreciated by a researcher (Collins, 2010). When using interpretivism, the researcher draws on existing studies which are based on empirical findings through an analysis of varying research outcomes. ...
... Before data collection, some strategies were developed during the preliminary investigations and through the author's field knowledge. The Likert scales are excellent for defining respondents' IJBPA opinions on various statements (Collins, 2010). The initially developed questionnaire was subjected to a pilot test to ensure the collection instrument was free from ambiguity and that intended respondents would easily understand the questions. ...
Purpose-Despite successfully adopting building information modelling (BIM) for design and construction, its adoption in post-construction is critically lagging. This study aims to investigate the adoption of BIM for post-construction in Nigeria. Specifically, it aims to investigate the barriers hindering BIM adoption, propose strategies to facilitate its integration into the post-construction phase and examine the relationship between the barriers and strategies towards adopting BIM for post-construction. Design/methodology/approach-This study employs a quantitative approach to gather numerical data on BIM perceived barriers among International Facility Management Association (IFMA) members. The study also develops strategies from an extensive literature review and combines them with insights from preliminary investigation. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings-The top perceived barriers among the professionals are lack of BIM awareness, software availability issues and difficulties using new technologies. Institute training/workshops on BIM software for the professionals in the organisation, including BIM software courses in various related professional exams, and encouraging adoption of BIM from the grassroots, such as higher institutions, emerge as the top strategies. The findings further show a significant relationship between the barriers and strategies, emphasising the recognition that understanding barriers prompts the active development and implementation of strategies. Originality/value-This study holds originality in its examination of the relationship between the barriers and strategies associated with BIM adoption in Nigerian Architecture, Construction, Engineering and Operation.
... Enhancing competitive advantage through novelty search has become increasingly complex for creative companies, given the evolution of market trends (Acar et al., 2019) and the redefinition of competitive boundaries over time (Collins, 2018;Khlystova et al., 2022 3.1 | Measurement 3 ...
Even though business model innovation (BMI) is crucial to enhance competitive advantage, our understanding about how organizations innovate their business model when pursuing contrasting goals is rather underdeveloped. To address this issue, we explore how and why managers' learning and performance orientations affect BMI. Using a survey among managers at companies within the creative industries , such as design, architecture and gaming, we find a positive relationship between learning orientation and BMI, while a performance orientation does not affect the ability to innovate the business model. We also explain that learning orientation has a stronger effect in dynamic environments. Our study contributes to research on business model, exploring the antecedents of BMI and showing how companies can enhance innovation, while navigating contrasting goals. We also contribute to goal orientation research, showing the consequences of different orientations for companies embracing the complexities of BMI. K E Y W O R D S business model innovation, contrasting goals, environmental dynamism, learning orientation, performance orientation
... The interpretivist paradigm was central to this study as we believe that the construction of meaning is subjective and multiple; people generate their version of reality while interacting with their environments (Collins, 2010;Mackenzie & Knipe, 2006;Snape & Spencer, 2003). The interpretivist paradigm involves researchers interpreting meaning from their participants' point of view. ...
This article discusses the barriers to prison education from a Tanzanian perspective. The paper addresses one major research question, “What are the barriers to prison education in the Tanzanian context?”. This qualitative study employed a multiple-case study design, which involved 51 participants, including 28 inmates, six (6) inmate-teachers, 14 prison officers from five prisons, two (2) representatives from the Institute of Adult Education and a District Adult Education Officer. The data were mainly collected through individual and focus group interviews. Focus Group Interviews were employed to collect information from some inmates who were available in groups. Data from the rest of the participants, including some inmates, were collected through Individual Interviews. Thematic analysis was used to process the data. The study found two main categories of barriers – the prison and imprisonment situation and dispositional – that inhibited participation in prison education. The findings suggest that most prisoners were affected by the barriers associated with the “prison and imprisonment situation”; a few were affected by dispositional barriers. It is suggested here that Tanzania should do more to improve prisoners’ access to education in tune with global tendencies to widen participation amid marginalised populations.
... McDonald (2004) has gone farther to regard it as an alternative way of reading that goes beyond typical approaches of the reading task itself. It has been claimed that critical reading implies making judgements about how a text is argued (Collins, 2018). Wallace (2011) cited in (Muhammed, 2020) has believed that critical reading is concerned with questioning the facts, how the text works, how it is argued, and how it reaches its conclusions. ...
... Interpretivist studies typically forgo rigid structural frameworks in favor of more flexible, personal research structures (Collins, 2018). ...
Purpose-This study addresses the pivotal role of digital transformation (DT) in the post-pandemic business landscape, identifying a notable gap in comprehending strategic adaptations and digital communication amidst the complexities of the digital era. It seeks to illuminate practical insights for businesses navigating through DT by intertwining its technological and organizational aspects.
Design/methodology/approach-Employing a conceptual approach, this paper synthesizes existing literature and theoretical frameworks related to DT, integrating its technological, strategic and organizational dimensions. It utilizes real-world instances to elucidate the digital era's practical implications and strategic adaptations. The study also proposes a research agenda that spotlights pressing DT issues, challenges and actionable strategies for businesses.
Findings-Despite DT's inherent complexity, the paper reveals that it is crucial for businesses navigating the contemporary digital landscape. It underscores the importance of strategic adaptations in DT, highlighting their implications on customer experiences and organizational structures amidst the evolving technological and market dynamics. Moreover, it accentuates the significance of effective digital communication strategies in enhancing user experiences and conveying value propositions adeptly.
Originality/value-This paper brings vital aspects of DT impacting modern organizations, offering invaluable insights for practitioners and scholars aiming to comprehend and navigate DT's complexities. The identified research gaps underscore the necessity for further exploration, aiming to broaden DT's theoretical and practical facets.
... The study was guided by the interpretivism philosophical paradigm which involves the interpretation of elements of the study. The interpretivist assumes that access to reality is socially constructed such as language, consciousness, shared meaning and instruments (Myers, 2008;Collins, 2010). The interpretivism philosophical paradigm was used during data analysis by interpreting and understanding the meaning of different subjects and language patterns under investigation to reveal relativization strategies in Chindali. ...
Purpose: This paper investigates the strategies employed in the formation of relative clauses (RCs) in Chindali as spoken in Ileje district of Songwe region in the southern highlands of Tanzania. Methodology: The study employed a qualitative approach with a descriptive research design. Data were gathered through text collection and introspection. To inform the study, 10 informants were sampled using the purposive and snowball sampling techniques. The collection and analysis of the data were guided by Kayne's (1994) Promotion Theory and the Interpretivism Philosophical Paradigm. Findings: The study revealed that Chindali employs relative pronoun, gapping, and pronoun retention strategies to form its RCs. The article concludes that relativization strategies differ depending on the language. The study supplements the little existing literature in Chindali. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study has contributed to the development of the theory through empirical data from Chindali that show the importance of the agreement and dependency structure to accomplish the relativisation process. It is suggested that policymakers place more attention on ethnic community languages in order to promote them. The study recommends further research on the structure of Chindali RCs to identify the position of RCs in relation to the head noun.
... The paradigm for this research was positivism research philosophy because it prioritizes qualitative analysis over quantitative analysis and because it produces data with a high level of validity, which is reliable and honest (Collins, 2010). According to positivism, the only information that can be relied upon is that which is "factual" and obtained from observation (the senses), including measurement. ...
This study sought to examine the influence of virtual banking which uses internet as a means of communication to deliver banking services on the growth of customer base of commercial banks with specific focus on Nairobi County, Kenya. The objective of the study was determining how adaptability of virtual banking; establish affordability of virtual banking; assess accessibility to virtual banking and determine the moderating effects of adaptability, affordability, and accessibility on customer base growth of commercial banks in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study showed how adaptability, affordability, and accessibility of virtual banking influence customer base growth. This study was anchored on three key theories, Innovation Diffusion theory, Theory of Planned Behaviour and Technology Acceptance model. The study adopted descriptive survey research design and use stratified random sampling. The target population was 84 management staff, 120 Tellers, 150 retail customers, 100 corporate customers and 50 System Administrators from Tier I, II and III commercial banks in Nairobi County. The sample size comprised of 36 management staff, 51 Tellers, 64 retail customers, 43 corporate customers and 21 System Administrators. Responses were received from 200 respondents which translates to 91.7% response rate. A structured questionnaire was used to gather the primary research data through drop and pick later data collection procedure. Data was cleaned before being entered for analysis with the help of SPSS-26. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and presented inform of tables and figures. This enabled the researcher to determine the contribution made by the independent variables on the dependent. Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.733 shows that virtual banking accessibility had a positive significant correlation with growth of customer base (r = 0.733, p < 0.05); virtual bank adaptability (r = 0.755, p < 0.05); virtual bank affordability (r = 0.895, p < 0.05); internet (r = 0.572, p > 0.05). The overall R2= 0.834 indicates that 83.4 percent of the variation in growth of customer base was explained by the independent variables while 16.6 % variation in the dependent variable is explained by other factors that were not included in current study. The study recommends for a review on the cost of online transactions so as encourage more customers to use the virtual banking platforms. There is need also to enhance network coverage in the country and especially in the remote places.
... The study uses data from 21 banks registered in the State Bank of Pakistan based on data availability from 2012-2020, collected from their financial reports (Appendix A). The advantages of the positivist perspective include objective data interpretation and research conclusions that are generally calculable, noticeable, and repeatable (Collins, 2011). The independent variable is corporate governance, composed of the board of directors/board size, executive, managerial ownership for internal control, chairman/chief executive officer (CEO) duality, board independence, and transparency. ...
There is a need to explore the moderating role of banks’ efficiency in the relationship between corporate governance (CG) and default probability in Pakistan. Such attention is required due to poor bank governance, which threatens banks’ stability. This empirical study’s objective is to ascertain the impact of CG on bank default probability by considering banking efficiency as a moderating factor for the period spanning 2012–2020 by using secondary data from banks in Pakistan. The results, estimated using System GMM regression—whose robustness was confirmed through Driscoll and Kraay’s standard error approach findings—show a significant relationship between banks’ CG and bank efficiency. Banks’ better CG practices will improve bank efficiency toward financial soundness in Pakistan. Moreover, the current study puts forth certain implications, i.e. that the banks still need to improve the mechanism they use to implement corporate governance attributes to compete properly on the international stage.
... Qualitative data offered appropriate insights and facilitated more precise learning of quantitative findings. Survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were the main research methods for uncovering the perspectives on trauma-informed principles (Collins, 2019) . ...
Mobile apps have revolutionised the way people travel, especially via Online Travel Agency (OTA) platforms, in today's rapidly evolving digital era. These apps, including popular ones like Booking.com, Agoda, and Traveloka, became essential tools for travelers, offering services from flight bookings to hotel reservations with just a few taps. In Malaysia, a country known for its rich cultural diversity and vibrant tourism industry, OTA mobile apps saw widespread adoption. However, the factors that influenced their usage among Malaysian travelers were complex and multifaceted. This study investigated the various elements that shaped the use of OTA mobile apps in Malaysia, aiming to uncover the key drivers and barriers that affected user behavior. By exploring the technological, cultural, economic, and social factors at play, this research provided valuable insights into how these apps were perceived and utilized by different segments of the population. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 216 respondents through an online questionnaire. The analysis highlighted several critical factors, including user preferences, information accuracy, interface design, and connectivity issues, which all played a role in shaping the overall user experience. Additionally, cultural considerations significantly influenced expectations and satisfaction levels. The findings of this study offered practical recommendations for OTA providers, suggesting ways to enhance app functionality and tailor marketing strategies to better meet the needs of Malaysian travelers. By addressing the identified challenges and leveraging the insights gained, industry stakeholders could optimize their services to foster greater user satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately this will lead to a surge of the sustainability and development of the tourism sector in Malaysia. 2
Nigerian women continue to face severe under- representation in elected and appointed positions, while comprising half of the nation's population and exerting considerable influence in the voting process, particularly in organising and promoting the process at the lowest levels of society. Political hurdles, socio-cultural issues such as patriarchy, religious dogma, anti-egalitarian behaviours, and conventional views of women in politics and socioeconomic hurdles such as low income, a lack of resources, electoral processes and political party structures, have all been identified as barriers to women's political engagement as such, the objective of this study is to evaluate Nigerian women's political engagement in Nigeria quantitatively. The study used quantitative research methods where the questionnaire was administered to 150 respondents. The result of the findings shows that low levels of female appointments to the national parliament are significantly related to women's political voting eligibility, according to the research at t = 3.125, df = 148, and p = .002, which implies that voting eligibility of women is a significantly positive predator of appointment of women in politics. It further shows that both men and women in Nigerian politics have been the primary sponsors of politics aimed at increasing women's representation in government. The study concluded that it would take a while for women to get to that point where women will be significantly participating in Nigerian politics because women face so many problems in public places. In the same way, Nigerian women need to make their own culture that goes against the deeply rooted traditions that say what women should or shouldn't do or be, especially in an African setting and recommended that the government should look at the current federal constitution, policy-making, and regulatory framework, to see if any regulations might make it harder for women to participate equally, such as rules that require a lot of signatures to register as a candidate or high deposits of money that can be unfair to women candidates. As a result, laws that give women and men equivalent rights and responsibilities should be passed.
This study presents a bibliometric review of creative economy entrepreneurship, focusing on its implications for community empowerment strategies. Using data from Google Scholar and Scopus, the analysis covers publications from 1997 to 2024. The VOSviewer software was used to conduct co-citation, keyword co-occurrence, and network mapping analyses to identify key research trends, influential authors, and emerging topics. Results show that "creative industry" is central to discussions, with frequent connections to themes like "local wisdom," "business development," and "digital transformation." The study highlights the growing importance of digital tools and sustainability in creative entrepreneurship, particularly in empowering marginalized communities. The analysis also reveals distinct author collaboration clusters, pointing to limited interdisciplinary interactions that could benefit from further exploration. Overall, the findings suggest that while creative economy entrepreneurship is a promising tool for community empowerment, more research is needed on digital inclusion, sustainability, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. This review contributes to the understanding of how creative industries can drive both economic growth and social empowerment.
En el campo de la Metodología de la investigación en general, y en el de las las Artes en específico, existe un término con bastante utilización: enfoque, y también con gran ambigüedad ―no precisamente semiótica. Su significado está asociado a resolver un problema(s) de investigación desde unos supuestos, presupuestos, fundamentos no esencialistas, principios o procedimientos de modo acertado y demostrativo. Sin embargo, en las fuentes epistemo-metodológicas, tanto generales como artísticas, no se precisa su utilización en cuanto alcances lógico-epistémico predicativos flexibles, pero no se pude confundir la ductilidad con el relativismo de la indeterminación absoluta, la carencia de demarcación y precisión enunciativa. En lo artístico investigativo la categoría de enfoque tiene diferentes dimensiones y connotaciones epistémicas, equivalentes a paradigma, metametodología, metodología y método. Incluso, una misma formulación como Investigación basada en las artes, unas veces se la considera como varias metodologías (metametodología), metodología o método. No es una contradicción in terminis, pero se necesita
ABSTRACT
The study was aimed at assessing the impact of internal audit on effectiveness of financial management in government statutory bodies especially in Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). To achieve this, data was collected using a Lickert scale questionnaire and a structured interview and the results were analyzed using a Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software package. These objectives of the study where to; assess the factors that promote the effectiveness of the Internal Auditors in performing their duties in CCPC; assess the effectiveness of Financial Management Performance in CCPC; determine the factors that hinder the internal audit from having an effectiveness impact on financial management in CCPC.
Findings from the study were that the factors that promote the effectiveness of the internal auditors in performing their duties in CCPC include, the independence of the auditor (overall mean score: 2.21), staffing, training and resources (overall mean score: 2.15), due professional care and experience (overall mean score: 2.36) and interpersonal-relationships (overall mean score: 2.36). However, management support (overall mean score: 3.36) implies that the respondents were neutral or were not sure about whether the internal auditors received an overall management support and hence the conclusion is that the indicator is not a factor that promote the effectiveness of internal auditors in performing their duties in CCPC.
Further the study revealed that financial management performance in CCPC was ineffective as revealed by an overall mean score of 3.53 implying that most respondents were not sure about the effectiveness of financial management performance in CCPC. This is because some respondents were of the view that political influence contributed to ineffective financial payments whereas others were not (Mean score: 3.20), that the cash available had little impact on solving the arising financial matters as they happen (Mean score: 4.00).
Finally, in determining the factors that hinder the internal audit from having an effectiveness impact on financial management in CCPC, the research findings revealed low salaries which had a lower mean score of 1.43, followed by lack of motivation with 2.34 and in third position was government policies. These outcomes imply that low salary, lack of motivation and government policies are some of the major factors that hinder the internal audit from having an effective impact on financial management in CCPC. However, respondents were not sure whether being understaffed (Mean = 3.24), lack of professionals (Mean = 3.12) and Political influence (mean = 3.10) actually hindered internal audit from having an effective impact on financial management in CCPC.
This meta-analysis on ICT literacies of the teachers in the Division of Northern Samar was based on the studies available in the UEP-Graduate Studies for over a five-year period. It looked into the profile of the teachers in terms of age, sex, ICT-related trainings, and personal ICT devices. This study also determined the level of ICT literacies of teachers in terms of ICT competence, extent of ICT integration, and level of ICT utilization. Studies showed that smartphone was the most common ICT device of the respondents and this was also what they preferred using as an aid in their teaching. It was also recorded that the respondents also owned laptops and desktop computers that they used in the teaching-learning process. Most of the respondents of the studies were only at the average level when it comes to ICT competence, except for the findings of Diaz (2016) where the respondents were only at the basic level, and the study of Virtudes (2018) who found out that the respondents were already at the advance level. This can be attributed to the lack of ICT-related trainings. In terms of the extent of ICT integration, results revealed that the teachers were already knowledgeable enough of the capabilities of computers to classroom applications, but were not proficient enough using computers to support the teaching-learning process. Even if the respondents had knowledge in using ICT, they were not maximizing these technologies in the teaching-learning process. Others were not comfortable in using ICT because they were still not experts, and most of them had only an average literacy on ICT. They still wanted to use strategies which they were comfortable with, and ICT was out of the context. Results confirm that teachers are mostly using ICT only as aids in generating electronic reports, record of students’ data and files, acquiring teaching materials through the internet, and improving their classroom. But although they can be considered literate enough to the use of ICT, they are not fully utilizing ICT into the teaching-learning process.
The purpose of this study is to investigate how changes in macroeconomic indicators, such as GDP, exports, discount rate, and Forex rate, affect Pakistani imports. It is widely acknowledged that the world has become a global village, with no state being able to meet its own needs for goods and services. As a result, these states are forced to import goods and services that would be extremely expensive to produce locally due to a lack of raw materials. Imports are crucial to global trade because they enable nations to buy raw materials from other countries, transform them into completed goods, and then export those goods for significant profit. Maintaining a positive balance of payments requires the state to maintain an appropriate balance between its imports and exports. Since importing goods and services from overseas requires paying significant foreign exchange, it is imperative that only necessities be imported and that luxury items be avoided. Using data of independent variables, such as export, GDP, discount rate, and Forex rate, and dependent variable, namely import spread over a period from 1972 to 2020, descriptive statistics and diagnostic tests, such as Unit root test, ARDL tests, Bound test, Multicollinaerity, Heteroscedasticity, Correlation, and Autocorrelation, have been conducted. In order to examine the existence of a long-term balance link between import, GDP, interest rate, export, and foreign exchange rate, we have adopted the bounds analysis method to cointegration, which was developed inside the ARDL structure. The results provide strong evidence that the GDP, interest rate, and exchange rate all have an important impact on determining the long- and short-term responses to our nation's imports. Key words:
Even the largest tax plan in the world is useless if it is not implemented well. Efficient tax administration ensures a high level of tax compliance. However, measuring the effectiveness of tax administration based solely on the amount of taxes collected is overly simplistic. Instead, a much stronger criterion for assessing the effectiveness of tax administration is taking into account the size of the compliance gap. The goal of this study is to determine the effectiveness of rental income tax administration by examining the characteristics of the tax system that influence it, such as diversity, equality, convenience, simplicity, and security. Both primary and secondary data were used in this study. Primary data was collected from taxpayers in Kabulonga Main, Lusaka, while secondary data was collected from various sources including the Zambia Revenue Authority, State Valuation Department, Lusaka City Council, and selected real estate agencies. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The study aimed to determine whether taxpayers' perceptions of the characteristics of the tax system, as identified in the theoretical and empirical literature, could influence the effectiveness of the administration of the rental income tax. The Zambia Revenue Authority was found to have perpetuated phenomena that encourage non-compliance behavior among aggrieved taxpayers, which was indirectly used as a measure of tax administration effectiveness in this study. The results showed that the characteristics of the tax system, particularly equality, diversity, convenience, simplicity, and security, have a positive impact on the effectiveness of tax administration. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the Zambia Revenue Authority work more closely with all stakeholders, incorporate user-friendly features into its tax filing website to promote inclusivity and compliance, improve the authority's ethical profile, increase taxpayer trust in the system, and reduce the tax rate on rental income to alleviate the tax burden. Additionally, active taxpayer education and enforcement of tax laws and policies should be implemented to reduce tax evasion and improve tax compliance.
A practical guide to conducting practice-based research projects in the arts, specifically aimed at undergraduates and new researchers. This is a textbook aimed primarily at upper undergraduate and Master’s students, including practical guidance, examples, exercises, and further resources.
In this study, the deployment of an integrated Quality Function Deployment (QFD) decision framework is presented to help cities design targeted strategies to become “smart”. Arguably smart cities leverage advanced technologies to enhance their smartness to improve everyday urban life. To this end, a QFD – Analytic Hierarchy Process – Analytic Network Process (QFD-AHP-ANP) framework is proposed to deliver guidance for selecting the appropriate mix of smart technologies based on the specific smart needs of each city.
Waste management is a critical component of environmental sustainability, encompassing various processes and strategies aimed at minimizing waste generation, maximizing resource recovery, and reducing environmental impacts. This comprehensive review article provides an in-depth analysis of current waste management practices, challenges, and emerging trends. It covers a wide range of topics including waste generation patterns, collection and transportation systems, recycling and recovery technologies, waste-to-energy conversion, landfill management, and policy frameworks. Additionally, the article discusses the importance of public awareness, community engagement, and stakeholder collaboration in achieving effective waste management solutions. By synthesizing existing literature and presenting case studies from different regions, this article aims to inform policymakers, practitioners, and researchers about the complexities of waste management and inspire innovative approaches towards a more sustainable future. The study employed a mixed paradigm and descriptive survey design that sampled Institutions of higher learning, Government ministries, Local authorities and Non-Governmental Organizations and interviewed university lecturers, university students, Ministry Local Government officials, Public Health Officers in Local Authorities and NGO members. Data was obtained from respondents by means of interviews, questionnaires and project observation schedules. The sample consisted of two hundred respondents. Frequency, percentages, tables, graphs and pie-charts were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data obtained. Data was then analyzed manually in some cases and also, a combination of software MS Access and MS Excel. The findings revealed that moving towards sustainable waste management underscores the urgency and importance of adopting sustainable practices in waste management. Through a comprehensive analysis of current waste management systems and their environmental impacts, the central Government and Local authorities should come up with innovative solutions to address the growing challenge of waste accumulation. and the study recommended that moving towards and achieving sustainable waste management requires policy advocacy, community engagement, partnership and collaboration as well as technology solution and other mitigation measures in waste management.
The objective of this study was to explore the factors behind the timely remittance of tax returns by businesses in Lusaka. The purpose was to conduct a mixed-methods case study of the factors affecting timely remittance of tax returns amongst small businesses in Lusaka's Chachacha-Freedom Way Tax Block. Data was collected from a purposive sample of 159 small business owners and managers in the Chachacha and Freedom Way Blocks in Lusaka, Zambia. A self-administered questionnaire was the tool used for data collection. Categorical data was analyzed by simple frequencies using SPSS Version 26. Qualitative textual data was analyzed manually using hierarchical coding frames. Quantitative Likert scale data was used to estimate PROBIT empirical models to investigate how factors such as perceptions of administrative simplicity, economic efficiency, equity, flexibility, certainty, and political responsibility around the fiscus affect the probability of timely remittance of returns. Results show that experiential issues were some of the reasons affecting taxpayers that could be analyzed in terms of the conduct of their businesses, interaction with tax authorities, and information flows between them. Factors contributing to delayed remittance of tax returns included non-adoption of e-filing methods and perceptions of political responsibility or being otherwise behind the tax system and fiscus. The study therefore finds some evidence for the political legitimacy theory of tax compliance. Both the quantitative and qualitative analyses conducted generally supported the idea that perceptions of economic efficiency, administrative simplicity, equity, flexibility, certainty, and political responsibility generally contribute to the timely remittance of tax returns. Recommendations of the study include promotion and easing of user friendliness of e-filing methods, as well as raising the ethical profile of the authority and strengthening taxpayer belief in the value of paying taxes through strategic partnerships with tax-funded government operations to improve political legitimacy.
The school library system is the most valuable facility of the school and an integral part of the educational process and a tool for teaching and learning. This study explored the role of secondary school library resource centres in resource-based learning in Iringa and Njombe regions of Tanzania. The study used a cross-sectional descriptive survey design. The study involved a sample of 148 heads of secondary schools and 36 school librarians. The types of secondary schools studied included public and private owned schools. The data were collected using questionnaires. This study found that the secondary school library resource centres were vital tools for teaching in the resource-based learning. Librarians cooperatively work with teachers to facilitate resource-based learning. They are also critical for provision of professional expertise to enable teachers and learners to effectively use the resources and services to foster critical thinking and lifelong learning, a prerequisite for resource-based learning.
The European Union’s regulatory system underwent a significant modification on May 26, 2021, with the implementation of updated regulation (EU) 2017/745 for medical devices MDD. This study is the first to conduct empirical and statistical research with primary data collection to assess the implementation of a new MDR and uncover the necessity of further investigation into these regulations. The methodology utilized by the researcher was a cross-sectional and correlational research design with the use of random sampling methods. The study finding has been validated statistically by exploratory factor analysis and descriptive and inferential data analysis techniques using SPSS 26 and SPSS Amos 26. The primary study variables are SME Organisational Performance, SME financial condition, and MDR implementation process. The study statistically highlighted and approved the negative impact of applying the MDR EU (2017/745) on SME financial performances, environmental processes, and business growth opportunities due to impractical implementations. Additionally, the study spotted the efficiency of the transparency monitoring process of MDR as an advantage for the medical devices industry. Ending by developing a practical model and recommendations for better business practice.
This research project was on assessing the effects of agency banking on accessibility to financial services in commercial banks in the Northern Province of Rwanda. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The population was 555 agents under which sample size was 233 people found using the Yamae formula. The study used a stratified and simple random sampling method. Also, different research instruments of data collection were used which include: journals, articles, document analysis and questionnaires. The reliability of the study was tested by carrying out pilot research and found that Cronbach's Alpha of .831. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 21 and data was presented using tables, percentages, means, and standard deviations. To analyze the relationship between two variables, Pearson Chi-Square and Pearson correlation were used to come up with comprehensive results. It was clear from the study that strategic responses to the implementation of agency banking as a competitive strategy in enhancing customers' access to financial services included the provision of high-quality customer service, enhancing the operational structure and improving the brand image. The study established that operational structure, brand image and financial services awareness among the rural population are positively correlated (r = 0.805) with access to financial services. Access to financial services was greatly enhanced by strategically increasing the proximity of agency banking services, increasing the number of services that could be offered through agency banking and increasing awareness among the population on financial services available at agency banking outlets.
The authors adopt the resource-based view (RBV) and information processing theory to discover the problems that impact the capital structure of financial institutions in the UK. Five firm-level explanatory variables (profitability, size, tangibility, age, and growth) were selected. The relevant capital structure measure was then regressed against the dependent variable leverage (debt-to-equity ratio). Consequently, correlation and multivariate regressions are applied to firm financial data from the selected financial institutions during the fiscal years 2011–2022. The primary conclusions of the study indicate that important information resources management variables for financial institutions in the UK are profitability and size. While the two other factors, profitability and growth, exhibit negative associations with capital structure, the remaining four variables, tangibility, size, age, and profitability, did not. The study reveals that optimal determinants of information resources management enhance financial performance in the case of top UK banks.
The impact of the installation of prepaid water meters on the performance of Lilongwe Waterboard, a water utility company in Malawi, was the main focus of this study. A survey was conducted among corporate consumers using prepaid water meters, and the data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that prepaid water meters have improved the billing of corporate customers, with monthly bills decreasing significantly after the introduction of prepaid meters. However, customers still faced challenges such as inconsistent water supply, high installation costs, high operational costs, inability to purchase water due to poor network, and low water pressure. The study recommends that Lilongwe Waterboard should continue to improve its services to minimize customer complaints. Further research is needed to assess the impact of prepaid water meters in other locations. Due to its high cost and the service provider's inability to maximize revenue from the generated billing, the system has received a lot of criticism from customers. It is necessary to determine the billing patterns prior to and following the implementation of prepaid water meters and to assess the impact of those patterns on the operation of the Lilongwe Waterboard.
There is no universally accepted definition of “actionable” science at this time. This chapter aims to present a comprehensive perspective on what actionable science entails, delving into its historical context, current understanding, and the prevalent misconceptions across academia, industry, and the public. Our goal is to redefine the concept of “actionability” in scientific research through a rigorous, scientific approach, fostering consensus and unity in evaluating the short-term and long-term value of scientific endeavors. While our exploration centers primarily on the realms of Earth and environmental sciences, we will also touch upon the foundational principles of physics and their influence on environmental sciences, as well as their broader implications for decision-making within human society. This marks our effort to establish a precise definition for “actionable” science and propose a quantitative mathematical framework for gauging the degree of actionability. It will lay down the stepping stones for the following chapters to further explore strategies for enhancing the practical application of scientific research.
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