Search

Interest in higher education institutions (HEIs) as instruments for development has increased in recent years. The main objective of this paper is to address the contribution of HEIs to development through their missions, models, and challenges. With this purpose, we perform a historical analysis and characterise higher-education systems through the perspective of university models and missions, noticing relevant aspects regarding the evolution of this institution over time, as well as the transformations undergone. We also consider the main challenges that current higher education systems face in the 21st century. As methodological approaches, we carry out a literature review complemented by a comparative analysis based on data from the higher education systems of ten European countries. The findings show that HEIs can contribute to development through their missions, which are related to the models of higher education. Their first mission (teaching) contributes to improving human capital and attracting highly qualified people to their regions; the second mission (research) improves scientific knowledge which can foster innovative activities; and the third mission (community service) acts as a link between research and business, including patents, business incubators, and collaboration agreements. We also conclude that the challenges of higher education in the 21st century can be categorised essentially in three main areas: (1) globalisation and massification of higher education, as well as the internationalisation of HEIs' missions and diversification of the educational supply to attract new students; (2) new technologies related to the digitalisation of teaching and distance learning; and (3) higher education entrepreneurship, showing the importance of university-company relationships. This paper provides a global setting for a reflection on the role of HEIs in the 21st century, given their connection with society and the need for a more effective contribution to socio-economic development.

In this paper we explore collaboration in the context of the educational services industry (ESI). We look to literature from the communication field to consider ethical strategies and methods for ensuring the validity of the outcomes of collaborative working. Drawing on Collaborative Product Development and conversation theory we devise four principles that can guide the collaborative process within an education-based partnership project. We then use a case study to consider how these principles supported the outcomes of a cross-national partnership project. Finally, we draw on these principles to consider the lessons for project management in education public private partnerships.

In the construction of "Double First-class" universities, how to establish an evaluation system of universities' scientific and technological innovation capacity with Chinese characteristics and international standards will determine the direction and level of improvement of Chinese university?s technological innovation capacity. The system of scientific and technological innovation in university is a complex system, and the existing evaluation index and evaluation system may be difficult to meet the actual needs of the national construction of "Double First-class" universities in the new situation, so the evaluation index should be a breakthrough and innovation. This paper probes into the existing problems in the evaluation system of scientific research in China, systematically investigate the common and different features of scientific research evaluation in Britain, America, France and Australia, puts forward the new connotation of the structure dimension of Chinese universities 'scientific and technological innovation capacity, and points out the basic criterion of constructing the evaluation system of university scientific and technological innovation capacity: First, design of indicators should reflect the development trend of the world, and reflect the cultural characteristics and historical background of Chinese universities. Second, it is necessary to according to the "world standard", reflect the value orientation and practice standard of Chinese university construction. Third, taking differentiated design and establishing a classification evaluation standard. Fourth, the evaluative dimension should reflect the diversification of the evaluation's content, especially considering to optimize overall scientific research ecology.

How do teachers respond to a mathematics curriculum innovation? This paper reports some of the findings from a UK Research Council (ESRC)-funded project investigating how teachers in English secondary schools (students aged 12-16 years) responded to innovation. A Gatsby Foundation funded program implemented new materials; the project investigated processes and expectations of implementation. In this paper, we consider the "gap" between innovation and proposed practice from the position of the practitioner, employing the work of Foucault (1995) and Deleuze and Guattari (1998) as a framework for analysis. The paper takes a theoretical position, arguing that teachers construct individual and constantly changing amalgams of practice. These are founded on "difference" and understood in ways, which are shifting, and partial rather than "known" via a sense-making process. Expectations of a strong correspondence between innovation and teacher response have undermined alternative perspectives that regard the interruption and re-routing of innovation as productive of viable outcomes in sites of practice.

The provision of sustainable housing should factor energy efficiency, the use of sustainable building methods and materials and address the current associated barriers. This consideration triggered an ongoing study in UK which has so far conducted a bibliometric analysis of 275 papers using the VOSviewer software. More papers have been published in the last 5 years compared to the previous 15, and the UK is less engaged in successful collaborations in comparison to other economically developed nations. The lesser use of innovation in the UK has been identified. Also, the uses of sustainable methods and materials in residential housing are not fully exploited for achieving energy efficiency. A future research direction emerging is the potential to study the combined impact of using innovative materials and methods to achieve greater energy efficiency in UK housing provision. Through technological innovations and the need to move from fossil fuels (for example, through the use of heat pumps) a new approach can move the UK closer to achieving net-zero in housing provision and operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the role of "disruptive" innovative technologies in higher education. In this country and elsewhere, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have invested significant sums in learning technologies, with Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) being more or less universal, but these technologies have not been universally adopted and used by students and staff. Instead, other technologies not owned or controlled by HEIs are widely used to support learning and teaching. According to Christensen's theory of Disruptive Innovation, these disruptive technologies are not designed explicitly to support learning and teaching in higher education, but have educational potential. This study uses Activity Theory and Expansive Learning to analyse data regarding the impact of disruptive technologies. The data were obtained through a questionnaire survey about awareness and use of technologies, and through observation and interviews, exploring participants' actual practice. The survey answers tended to endorse Disruptive Innovation theory, with participants establishing meanings for technologies through their use of them, rather than in keeping with a designer's intentions. Observation revealed that learners use a narrow range of technologies to support learning, but with a tendency to use resources other than those supplied by their HEIs. Interviews showed that participants use simple and convenient technologies to support their learning and teaching. This study identifies a contradiction between learning technologies made available by HEIs, and technologies used in practice. There is no evidence to suggest that a wide range of technologies is being used to support learning and teaching. Instead, a small range of technologies is being used for a wide range of tasks. Students and lecturers are not dependent on their HEIs to support learning and teaching. Instead, they self-select technologies, with use weighted towards established brands. The use of technologies outside HEIs has implications for the monitoring of learning and teaching, and for the role of HEIs, which are no longer the gatekeepers to knowledge. (Contains 2 figures.) [This paper was published in the ALT-C 2012 Conference Proceedings.]

This paper describes a social partnership model based on the living lab concept to promote the professional development of educators through formal and informal capacity-building initiatives. The aim is to have a broader impact on society through community outreach educational initiatives. A Living Lab is an environment for user-centered innovation, based on the observation of everyday user practice and experience for solving problems but is also based on users' active participation, with an approach that facilitates their influence in the open and distributed innovation process (participatory design). It is defined as 4P innovation, namely, Public-Private-People-Partnership. The objectives are thus political and strategic, focusing on the social role of innovation, i.e., trying to totally realize human potential by increasing creativity. In 2009, the Virtual Centre for Innovative Learning Technologies (VCILT) embarked on the SIDECAP project, funded by the EU-ACP in a consortium led by the Open University of the UK. The work of the VCILT in the context of the SIDECAP project was essentially focused on the repurposing of Open Educational Resources to fit in the local Mauritian Context. At the same time, the VCILT received an internal grant to work on the development of interactive learning materials using the integration of text-to-speech technology in instructionally designed PowerPoint presentations. During the same period, the Centre launched an innovative online training programme for in-service educators to allow them to top-up their qualifications in the field of educational and instructional technologies. The set of activities described in the paragraph above, resulted in a succession of action-reflection cycles which developed into the concept of a Living Lab. We report the Living Lab setup at the University of Mauritius, by showing how the research activities at the VCILT led to a series of development and applications in a real-world context, related to the formal teacher training courses and informal continuous professional development of educators via the establishment of a social entity in a partnership with Microsoft Indian Ocean and French Pacific under the Partners in Learning Program. The model is referred to as a multiple-impact social partnership model. Therefore, there are three major components that would form the backbone of our Living Lab, namely, Research and Development, Teacher Education and, finally, the social entity that links the private and public sectors, and educators, in a social partnership.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to qualitatively describe an attempt to enhance curriculum design and delivery processes in universities through the development and introduction of new information systems and procedures. Design/methodology/approach: The author examines the experiences of five out of the total 27 institutions involved in the UK JISC Curriculum Design and Delivery programme as they attempted to implement campus-wide changes. Findings: Common themes that emerged across all five projects were the interconnectedness of university systems, proliferation of alternative "feral" systems, a tendency for project remits to drift, resistance from other parts of the institution, planning imperatives, staff turnover and dependency failures. Conclusions are that cultural change underpins effective innovation and that cultural change is harder than technical innovation. Practical implications: Change is best achieved through participatory, campus-wide approaches, although a "submarine" strategy may be necessary to deflect opposition. Stakeholders should be kept informed about benefits to them and it is important for projects to be responsive and adaptive and to recognize that participatory approaches may be institutionally risky. The paper concludes with practical recommendations for achieving lasting large-scale change in the higher education environment. Originality/value: The JISC Curriculum Design and Delivery programme was arguably the largest single co-ordinated Information and Communication Technology-based change management programme yet seen in the UK and the findings of this study provide insights into common barriers to effective change in universities and how to overcome them.

Purpose: This paper offers a retrospective on the launch and first volumes of this journal. It describes the history of a unique period in our discipline when founding fathers in the US and UK collaborated with industry and each other to create a new field. Design/methodology/approach: The authors interviewed founding editor Professor Martin Christopher and coeditor in Chief Professor Doug Lambert, conducted a bibliometric review of the first volumes of the journal and informed the analysis by approaches taken in other retrospectives published in the journal. The authors also feature historical artifacts from the journal. Findings: The editorial focus during the early days of the journal demonstrate how the roots of the field are in cost modeling and technical work but quickly moved toward customer orientation and managerial focus. The editorial approach during the early days of the journal was on innovative research and publishing, scholarship engaged with industry, a focus on relevance and industry impact as well as leveraging research in education. Originality/value: There have been retrospectives on the journals most recent volumes but what the authors aim to do is to reflect upon the launch and the first volumes of the journal. The authors expand and further detail the timeline of the development of the logistics field. In the process, the authors identify several historical roots for topics of greater focus in logistics and supply chain management in later years. The authors also find that many of the essential approaches and lessons learned in the period leading up to the launch and shortly after the launch of the journal do not only capture the early development of the discipline it also offers an approach and model for scholarship worthy of consideration still today. On top of that, several of the lessons learned in that period hold high relevance still today and they imply part of the path forward for the discipline and the journal, the authors develop questions for future research and research and editorial strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on a key issue for university managers, educational developers and teaching practitioners: that of producing new operational knowledge in the innovation system. More specifically, it explores the knowledge required to guide individual and institutional styles of teaching and learning in a large multi-disciplinary faculty. The case study presented outlines a sustainable approach for achieving quality enhancement of teaching and learning and producing new operational knowledge. Sustainability is achieved by linking to, and being sympathetic to, the innovative activity-led concept of learning reported in this paper. This leads to the identification of elements of evaluation that are appropriately aligned to the teaching and learning behaviours, attitudes and approaches that are critical for the innovation to be successful. Such context-sensitive evaluation elements allow meaningful feedback for the purposes of creating new operational knowledge that may then be applied and tested for on-going refinement and learning.

Purpose: This paper seeks to examine the emerging role of the Senior Academic Technology Officer (SATO) in higher education. It aims to consider two existing templates for this professional role derived from mainstream information management and information technology: the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Characteristically, CIOs and CTOs might be expected to have different appetites for creative destruction. The paper seeks to focus on the match between a SATO's own appetite for radical technological change and innovation--that is, for creative destruction--and that of their institution. The paper concludes with some observations concerning role design and appropriate recruitment and selection criteria for SATOs in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: The paper informs its discussion with a micro case study and the outcomes of a virtual anecdote circle comprised of 20 senior academics, administrators, and educational technologists from higher education institutions in Asia, Australia, North America, and the UK. Findings: The research suggests that the preferred model for a SATO is closest to that of a CIO with a leaning towards innovation and change. However, the paper finds that a SATO's personal appetite for creative destruction may be in conflict with the institution's culture, norms and values, resulting in poor outcomes for both. In order to avoid extreme mismatch the paper recommends a realistic approach to the recruitment and selection of SATOs that is aligned with the organisation's tolerance for innovation and change. Research limitations/implications: The paper contributes to the body of research-based literature concerning the strategic management and development of professional scientific and technical staff. Originality/value: Given the strategic importance of SATOs to ICT-driven transformation, university leaders will require evidence to formulate appropriate human resource and performance management strategies for these key academic-related/professional staff. The paper brings together evidence from a highly informed group of stakeholders with active interests in the field using a virtual anecdote circle.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of second tier UK universities in relation to the effectiveness of their knowledge management systems and involvement in open innovation. Data were acquired using a mail survey of academic staff in social science and business faculties in second tier institutions. The results indicate that certain key factors influence the effectiveness of knowledge management systems. Universities engaged in open innovation appear to have developed more effective systems. It is concluded that universities seeking to survive in the face of government spending cuts could benefit from optimising the effectiveness of their knowledge management systems and giving greater emphasis to the acquisition of new knowledge by exploiting open innovation. (Contains 1 table.)

Technology and change are so closely related that the use of the word innovation seems synonymous with technology in many contexts, including that of higher education. This paper contends that university culture and existing capability constrain such innovation and to a large extent determine the nature and extent of organisational change. In the absence of strong leadership, technologies are simply used as vehicles to enable changes that are already intended or which reinforce the current identity. These contentions are supported by evidence from e-learning benchmarking activities carried out over the past five years in universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. (Contains 6 figures.) [This article was originally published in "ALT-J: Research in Learning Technology," v18, n3, p179-192, Nov 2010.]

Over the recent years, there has been a growing interest in Open Educational Resources (OER). A similar trend was observed about a decade ago in the concept of Learning Objects, which inevitably faded without really making an impact in real-world educational contexts. A number of repositories were created that contain thousands of learning objects. However, on the consumption side, very little is known in terms of their implementations and impacts on teaching and learning. The same phenomenon is observed with Open Education Educational resources which are by definition learning objects but they are freely available resources available for educators and practitioners to use, reuse, remix and re-contextualise in local contexts. While the use of OER is widespread among educators (similarly to learning objects), however they often happen in discretion, isolation and not really in well-established frameworks (pedagogical, economical and institutional). This paper presents a case study of how OERs have been included in a sustainable and innovative teaching and learning model in three online courses at Diploma, Bachelor and Masters Level. It shows how the inclusion of OERs helped maintain a good quality level, sustain a viable economic model with reduction of tuition fees for learners, increase access and achieve the intended learning outcomes without any negative impact on the learners' experience. (Contains 3 figures.)

Audio-visual advances in virtual reality (VR) technology have given rise to innovative new ways to teach and learn. However, so far teaching and learning processes have been technologically driven as opposed to pedagogically led. This paper identifies the development of a pedagogical model and its application for teaching, studying and learning with 3D virtual reality technologies. This is in the context of design and technology education, where it has been devised for the support of innovation education. This work promotes an understanding of the implications of virtual learning technologies in education for teachers, learners and educational decision-makers. Furthermore, it can be shown that when pedagogical considerations are given weight in the development of such technology-based learning services, improvements arise for all stakeholders.

This reflection does not pretend to be a scientific survey of curriculum trends but is, as the title suggests, a personal reminiscence of governorship across different phases of education, with snippets about the curriculum that my memory recalls.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature on innovation and entrepreneurial learning by exploring how SMEs learn and innovate, how they use both formal and informal learning and in particular the role of networks and crisis events within their learning experience. Design/methodology/approach: Mixed method study, comprising 13 focus groups, over 1,000 questionnaire responses from SME managers, and 20 case studies derived from semi-structured interviews. Findings: SMEs have a strong commitment to learning, and a shared vision. Much of this learning is informal through network events, mentoring or coaching. SMEs that are innovative are significantly more committed to learning than those which are less innovative, seeing employee learning as an investment. Innovative SMEs are more likely to have a shared vision, be open-minded and to learn from crises, being able to reflect on their experiences. Research limitations/implications: There is a need for further process driven qualitative research to understand the interrelationship between, particularly informal, learning, crisis events and SME innovation. Practical implications: -- SME owners need opportunities and time for reflection as a means of stimulating personal learning -- particularly the opportunity to learn from crisis events. Access to mentors (often outside the business) can be important here, as are informal networks. Originality/value: This is one of the first mixed method large scale studies to explore the relationship between SME innovation and learning, highlighting the importance of informal learning to innovation and the need for SME leaders to foster this learning as part of a shared organisational vision.

This paper presents a patterns-based model of the evolution of learning and competence-building technologies, grounded in examples of current practice. The model imagines five simple stages in how institutions use "expeditionary change" to innovate more nimbly. It builds upon three assertions. First, the pervasiveness of web-based knowledge-sharing in higher education's communities, observatories and social networks makes it easier to: introduce relevant technologies, find people doing similar things, learn from their experiences, find and collaborate with early adopters of learning technologies, hear about relevant innovations, and discover and exploit news of opportunities, threats and trends. Second, expeditionary change based on such knowledge-sharing facilitates transformations in: production functions for learning, roles of faculty and mentors, business models, patterns and cadences of interactivity, use of open resources, and the roles of learners. Third, those transformations make it easier for disruptive forms of higher education to emerge; for example, dynamically updated curricula that address emerging and important knowledge gaps, and thereby increase students' employability. (Contains 1 figure.)

Purpose: This exploratory study seeks to identify the factors that influence the adoption and diffusion of instructional technology at five prominent universities in the UK. The study aims to examine the organisational factors that enable and inhibit organisational adoption and diffusion of innovation. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative exploratory case approach has been adopted to address the research question. In total, 36 semi-structured interviews were conducted at five universities in the UK. The five diverse approaches to adoption and diffusion of instructional technology were examined; top-down, integrated top-down, bottom-up, research-driven and project-driven approach. Findings: For this research eLearning is conceptualised as innovation situated in the interplay between structure and individual and how this leads to adoption and diffusion. The paper argues that senior management need to acknowledge the need to bridge the gap between "local context" and top-down strategic change. The findings suggest that there are tensions between "signification of meaning", "power and dominance" and cultural norms in adoption and diffusion of eLearning. Research limitations/implications: The implications of the research are significant in understanding the diversity of approaches to the adoption and diffusion of elearning. This provides insight for other universities in successfully managing the application of e-learning. Originality/value: Giddens's structuration theory provided a sensitising framework for understanding the dialectical nature of adoption of eLearning within five universities in the UK. The tensions between institutional structures, such as strategies, training, access to technology, technical support and time resources, and levels of adoption can be captured by dialectic of control in Giddens's Theory of Structuration.

Purpose: This paper seeks to analyse and explore the results of a research project, which aimed to identify recent and current research on TLA within HRD programmes. From that base the project also intended to identify areas for future research and a basis for establishing a Special Interest Group. Design/methodology/approach: A comprehensive review of the literature was undertaken and an electronic questionnaire survey was conducted of academic members of the UFHRD, EHRHD and AHRD databases. This provided coverage of widespread international population. Findings: Findings suggest that while research into HRD as a subject and academic discipline is very healthy, there is a dearth of research into the TLA of HRD educational programmes or at least research that is published. They also suggest that academics involved in delivering HRD programmes would welcome support in TLA through additional and new resources as well as ideas on innovative approaches and methods of TLA. TLA in HRD, though, is subject to some constraints, including the role of the professional body in the UK and parts of Europe, the status of HRD in relation to wider business management as a subject and HRM in particular and the size and diversity of student groups. Respondents to the survey, however, were confident that these problems can be addressed. Practical implications: A key conclusion drawn is that innovative practice in the TLA of HRD is probably more widespread than is evident from the literature. In addition, the notion of "innovative" does not have a fixed meaning and is context specific. This means that TLA practice, which is considered normal or usual in one context could and probably would constitute an innovation in different contexts. Originality/value: Provides the first overview of research into the TLA of HRD educational programmes. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term impact of three types of creativity training workshops conducted within an organization and contrast the influence of training compared with work environment factors in influencing employee innovation. Design/methodology/approach: A follow-up questionnaire was returned by 71 employees who had taken part in the creativity training programmes offered by a Civil Service organisation. Based on employee innovation theory, respondents were asked about changes in their knowledge, attitudes and use of creativity at work as a result of the training and about work environment factors. Findings: Respondents reported moderate but significant improvements in their levels of creativity knowledge, attitudes, workplace idea generation and idea implementation as a result of attending the training. Analyses also indicated that poor managerial support or an unfavourable departmental climate for innovation could limit the impact of creativity training with regard to influencing idea implementation. Research limitations/implications: Since the study was a cross-sectional survey it is recommended future research should test the present findings by using a longitudinal approach. Implications for research into the content and design of creativity training are made. Practical implications: Guidelines are presented for designing, implementing and evaluating creativity training initiatives and improving work environmental support. Originality/value: The paper offers a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of creativity training interventions and demonstrates how effectiveness can be limited if the work environment is not favourable. (Contains 2 tables.)

Building on a robust data set of 281 manufacturing and service firms in the UK, the paper offers an empirical analysis of relationship between the three strategic orientations and novel business model (BM). The paper plugs the gap around design and implementation of new BM and role of diverse strategic orientations. The empiric in the paper is supported by structure equation modelling and findings confirm the validity of the model thereby providing theoretical support around complexity of BM and its relationship with three strategic orientations. In the light of strategic importance around renewed business model, our paper is a timely contribution to understanding some of the antecedents of novel business model, its link to business performance and implementation of BM across firms in manufacturing and service sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive Cities, a university led knowledge exchange initiative works in collaboration with six UK city administrations facilitating the development of their strategic and practical approach to the inclusion of newcomers in the city. The paper places this case study into the context of the UK's centralized asylum reception and resettlement policy framework, contrasting it with the increasing recognition of the importance of the local level in integration and inclusion policy and the intersections between these differing modes of governance and competencies. The paper explores emerging learning from the programme in relation to the leadership role of local government, its ability to act as a place shaper in relation to inclusion and integration and it role in convening partners through horizontal, place-based, networks as well as the ways in which this case study can contribute to wider learning on the role of knowledge exchange in facilitating social change and policy framing at the city level and learning on the multi-level governance of reception and integration. The paper explores how mutual knowledge exchange may create space for a broadening out of the policy framing in relation to reception – in particular how a 'newcomer' frame may support increased innovation at the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the concept of digital modernity, the extension of narratives of modernity with the special affordances of digital networked technology. Digital modernity produces a new narrative which can be taken in many ways: to be descriptive of reality; a teleological account of an inexorable process; or a normative account of an ideal sociotechnical state. However, it is understood that narratives of digital modernity help shape reality via commercial and political decision-makers, and examples are given from the politics and society of the United Kingdom. The paper argues that digital modernity has two dimensions, of progression through time and progression through space, and these two dimensions can be in contradiction. Contradictions can also be found between ideas of digital modernity and modernity itself, and also between digital modernity and some of the basic pre-modern concepts that underlie the whole technology industry. Therefore, digital modernity may not be a sustainable goal for technology development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central part of the innovation process concerns the way firms go about organizing search for new ideas that have commercial potential. New models of innovation have suggested that many innovative firms have changed the way they search for new ideas, adopting open search strategies that involve the use of a wide range of external actors and sources to help them achieve and sustain innovation. Using a large-scale sample of industrial firms, this paper links search strategy to innovative performance, finding that searching widely and deeply is curvilinearly (taking an inverted U-shape) related to performance. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collapse of Greensill Capital, a company whose self-styled owner experimented with innovative supply-chain finance, led to parliamentary inquiries in the UK during the course of 2021. This paper tells the story of the collapse and analyses the justifications mobilised by the company's owner, Lex Greensill, in defence of his acts. His exculpatory narratives contain classical components that characterise white-collar and financial crime, but also some innovative aspects that may prefigure the future development of these types of crimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the methodological issues involved in assessing the impact of organizational structure upon the innovative capacity of voluntary organizations. It reports the use of a specific methodological tool—the Aston measures—as an approach to these issues. In addition to the empirical findings reported, this paper argues for these measures as a useful addition to the methodological tool kit of voluntary sector researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Health Service (NHS) in England continues to experience ongoing change in order to complete the transition to the new delivery system outlined in Liberating the NHS (Department of Health, 2010a). Treating and caring for patients in a safe environment and protecting them from acquiring avoidable infections remains a high priority and a central quality improvement component within the outcome Indicator set for 2013/14 (NHS Commissioning Board, 2012a). Infection prevention and control practitioners will be required to use a range of innovative quality improvement strategies to facilitate engagement with clinicians and meet the challenges that lie ahead for the NHS. The purpose of this paper is to report on the implementation of an infection prevention and control self-audit (IPCSA) project within general practice. The aim of the project was to empower practice staff to become actively involved with an infection prevention and control (IPC) audit in order to support the development of an IPC quality improvement culture within general practice teams. The paper outlines the methodology used to implement self-audit. The findings suggest that IPCSA can be used as an effective alternative to an IPC nurse-led infection prevention and control audit. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose - This paper aims to explore the introduction of a new experience-based learning process in the learning and teaching of human resource development (HRD) within a professionally accredited curriculum in a UK University. Design/methodology/approach - An action enquiry approach is taken, and qualitative data gathered over a full academic year from tutors and students are analysed to examine how those involved made sense of and learned about HRD. Findings - Influences on the experience of an innovative HRD pedagogy are identified as: assessment processes and expectations; relationships and behaviours within the learning and teaching process; the experienced emotions of those involved; and the extent to which students feel clarity about what is expected. Research limitations/implications - The qualitative nature of the data and the focus on one particular UK institutional taught module limits the generalisability; in particular, the experience of full-time students or those involved in courses that focus exclusively on HRD outside of UK are not incorporated. Practical implications - Attention to assessment processes is an essential pre-requisite to any pedagogic innovation, as is effective and transparent team-working by tutors and careful thought about tutor behaviours in settings where experienced emotions and relationships directly affect the innovative process. Originality/value - The inherent tension between the constructivist and exploratory HRD curriculum and the requirement for "performative clarity" in HRD pedagogy is explored. Experienced emotions and relationships are shown to mediate a student-centred and critically reflexive HRD pedagogy, something that is currently insufficiently recognised in much of the literature. The authors acknowledge with thanks the support of a research honorarium awarded by the University Forum for HRD (UFHRD) and the HEA Business, Management, Accountancy and Finance (BMAF) subject centre associated with the project discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk is a central component of innovation and innovation is seen as essential to the improvement of public services. The UK government clearly believe that unless public sector services engage with the innovation agenda and find ways to incorporate innovation into the delivery of front line services, future performance will remain inefficient and ineffective. Whilst it recognises that balancing risks with responsibilities is a significant hurdle to be overcome, the positive bias found within the policy literature and tendency to view innovation as a good thing may belie the difficulties associated with implementation in a social work context. This paper draws upon research examining the implementation of four new models of practice covering different areas of social work in the UK and Australia, namely Family Conferencing, Direct Payments, NEWPIN and Intensive Family Based Services.1 Successful innovation requires organisations and individuals to engage in positive risk-taking, which, in many public service arenas, particularly a social work context, could present significant barriers. The paper explores the issues facing both individuals and organisations attempting to be innovative and examines what potential innovation has in this context to realise government ambition. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose - This paper aims to undertake a content analysis of extant definitions of "innovation" as a basis for proposing an integrative definition of organizational "innovation". Design/methodology/approach - A literature review was used to generate a representative pool of definitions of organizational innovation, including definitions from the different disciplinary literatures of economics, innovation and entrepreneurship, business and management, and technology, science and engineering. A content analysis of these definitions was conducted in order to surface the key attributes mentioned in the definitions, and to profile the descriptors used in relation to each attribute. Findings,- The key attributes in the paper present in definitions were identified as: nature of innovation; type of innovation; stages of innovation, social context; means of innovation; and aim of innovation. These attributes are defined, descriptors assigned to them, and both a diagrammatic definition and a textual definition of organizational innovation are proposed. Originality/value - As a concept that is owned and discussed by many business disciplines, "innovation" has many different definitions that align with the dominant paradigm of the respective disciplines. Building on these diverse definitions, this paper proposes a general and integrative definition of organizational "innovation" that encompasses the different perspectives on, and aspects of, innovation, and captures its essence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Neither retail formats nor business models are static entities. Retailers develop new formats, manage existing formats and discard formats over time, as a consequence of many contributory factors in the retail environment. The paper provides a brief summary of our existing understanding of the retail innovation process and of the longer term retail format lifecycle, before placing this alongside recent UK research into the contemporary practice of format innovation. It explores four features of recent format change in the UK that provide the basis for distinctive business models. Design/methodology/approach - Analysis is derived from interviews with retail practitioners and supported by quantitative evidence from government statistical sources. Findings - The paper concludes that whilst existing models of retail format change can risk oversimplifying and formalising what are often experimental, incremental and often accidental processes, they can complement our understanding of longer term trends in UK retail formats. Practical implications - The evolution of retail formats, together with the retail business models of which they are an expression, has been a continuing source of interest amongst stakeholders ranging from consumers, developers and investors. Findings demonstrate that innovation is seen as providing an important source of diversity and renewal for urban and suburban spaces. Originality/value - The paper is of interest to practitioners and students of retail management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Innovation for reforming health and social care is high on the policy agenda in the United Kingdom in response to the growing needs of an ageing population. However, information about new innovations of care being implemented is sparse. Methods: We mapped innovations for people in later life in two regions, North East England and South East Scotland. Data collection included discussions with stakeholders (n = 51), semi-structured interviews (n = 14) and website searches that focused on technology, evaluation and health inequalities. We analysed qualitative data using framework and thematic analyses. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively. Results: One hundred eleven innovations were identified across the two regions. Interviewees reported a wide range of technologies that had been rapidly introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and many remained in use. Digital exclusion of certain groups of older people was an ongoing concern. Innovations fell into two groups; system-level ones that aimed to alleviate systems pressures such as preventing hospital (re)admissions, and patient-level ones which sought to enhance health and wellbeing directly. Interviewees were aware of the importance of health inequalities but lacked data to monitor the impact of innovations on these, and evaluation was challenging due to lack of time, training, and support. Quantitative findings revealed that two thirds of innovations (n = 74, 67%) primarily focused on the system level, whilst a third (n = 37, 33%) primarily focused on the patient-level. Overall, over half (n = 65, 59%) of innovations involved technologies although relatively few (n = 12, 11%) utilised advanced technologies. Very few (n = 16, 14%) focused on reducing health inequalities, and only a minority of innovations (n = 43, 39%) had undergone evaluation (most of which were conducted by the service providers themselves). Conclusions: We found a wide range of innovative care services being developed for people in later life, yet alignment with key policy priorities, such as addressing health inequalities, was limited. There was a strong focus on technology, with little consideration for the potential to widen the health inequality gap. The absence of robust evaluation was also a concern as most innovations were implemented without support to monitor effectiveness and/or without plans for sustainability and spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dearth of systematic evidence concerning the extent to which being located in economically advantaged regions assists firms in accessing knowledge from global sources. This paper explores the issue by utilizing data from a survey of firms in the UK. It shows that local knowledge sourcing widely assists firms in economically advantaged regions by acting as a springboard for international knowledge sourcing, whilst this is not the case for their counterparts in disadvantaged regions. The analysis suggests that the springboard effect and the geography of external knowledge networks are associated with regional economic context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to assist in a better understanding of the real role of patents by examining how Crossley Brothers – the world's main producer of gas engines before the First World War – and its partners (as well as the German inventor Nikolaus Otto) used the patent system to introduce the gas engine into Spain. The evidence suggests that patents were for them mainly an instrument to protect the market for their imported products. It is probable that the know-how transferred to the local agents and the engines imported could somehow enhance the domestic industrial abilities, but the supposed aim of the patent system – creating a local industry – was not achieved. Although the Spanish patent system was not well implemented, this was not the main explanation of this failure; rather it was the weak domestic technological abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning health systems (LHS) use digital health and care data to improve care, shorten the timeframe of improvement projects, and ensure these are based on real‐world data. In the United Kingdom, policymakers are depending on digital innovation, driven by better use of data about current health service performance, to enable service transformation and a more sustainable health system. This paper examines what would be needed to develop LHS in the United Kingdom, considering national policy implications and actions, which local organisations and health systems could take. The paper draws on a seminar attended by academics, policymakers, and practitioners, a brief literature review, and feedback from policy experts and National Health Service (NHS) stakeholders. Although there are examples of some aspects of LHS in the UK NHS, it is hard to find examples where there is a continuous cycle of improvement driven by information and where analysis of data and implementing improvements is part of usual ways of working. The seminar and literature identified a number of barriers. Incentives and capacity to develop LHS are limited, and requires a shift in analytic capacity from regulation and performance, to quality improvement and transformation. The balance in priority given to research compared with implementation also needs to change. Policy initiatives are underway which address some barriers, including building analytical capacity, developing infrastructure, and data standards. The NHS and research partners are investing in infrastructure which could support LHS, although clinical buy in is needed to bring about improvement or address operational challenges. We identify a number of opportunities for local NHS organisations and systems to make better use of health data, and for ways that national policy could promote the collaboration and greater use of analytics which underpin the LHS concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reflects on challenges universities face as they respond to change. It reviews current theories and models of change management, discusses why universities are particularly difficult environments in which to achieve large scale, lasting change and reports on a recent attempt by the UK JISC to enable a range of UK universities to employ technology to deliver such changes. Key lessons that emerged from these experiences are reviewed covering themes of pervasiveness, unofficial systems, project creep, opposition, pressure to deliver, personnel changes and technology issues. The paper argues that collaborative approaches to project management offer greater prospects of effective large-scale change in universities than either management-driven top-down or more champion-led bottom-up methods. It also argues that while some diminution of control over project outcomes is inherent in this approach, this is outweighed by potential benefits of lasting and widespread adoption of agreed changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The role of environmental regulations in inducing innovation and improving performance has been studied in the literature. However, there have been no studies in the UK using statistical data. This paper aims to study the links among regulations, innovation and performance in the UK using sector level data. Design/methodology/approach – The paper used structural equation modelling to study the links among the three variables simultaneously. Findings – The analysis indicates that environmental regulations in the UK are significant in improving economic performance of the industrial sectors. They also find that, in the short run, environmental regulations negatively influence innovation, and innovation negatively influences economic performance in these sectors. Practical implications – The results have implications both for policy makers and firms in the UK industrial sector. For policy makers, environmental regulations have generally improved economic performance. For firms, the study shows that sufficient planning in meeting government’s environment standards can help improve their economic performance. Originality/value – This is the first study in the UK to explore simultaneously the links among the three variables: environmental regulations, innovation, and performance, using secondary sector level data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a survey data of UK firms that engaged in downsizing, this paper explores the link between downsizing and innovation determinants. We suggest that the relationship between downsizing and innovation determinants is contingent upon the speed of implementing the downsizing and the severity of downsizing. Overall, the results confirm our general proposition and shed new light on the relationship between downsizing and innovation enhancers, and barriers to innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary & Nonprofit Organizations is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although the U.K. has a common political system, there are distinct regional differences. These differences are reflected in the outcomes of U.K. Government attempts to devise and implement innovation strategy within all parts of the U.K. Northern Ireland's (NI) regional differences are increased by the province's peripheral location in relation to the rest of the U.K. The aim of this paper is to explore the outcomes of innovation strategy and implementation on an U.K. regional basis. Moreover, the paper seeks to examine the effects of location by comparing the NI results with the other U.K. regions. This paper's focus is on NI; however, the level of analysis is the U.K. This is extremely important as it provides comparative data in order to test whether or not NI does differ from other regions in terms of its level of innovation activity. Data from the Community Innovation Survey shows that NI has a significantly lower level of product innovation, together with the lowest level of novel product innovation and the lowest market share attributed to novel innovations compared to the rest of the U.K. In addition, NI has the fourth lowest level of process innovation (and the lowest level of novel process innovation) in the U.K. Overall, NI can be considered something of an outlier region with regard to product innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation is an integral part of economic development in developed economies. In the post 2008 period, a key policy agenda is that of sustainable development, which calls for innovation in all aspects of value-chains. In this paper, we focus on innovation from the biotech-pharma perspective to see whether or not this will lead to a sustainable future for the regions where there are clusters of firms in this sector. We examine data from a recently completed European Union study of innovation in the Healthcare sector from the UK and Switzerland, countries with an historical base in pharma, to understand how innovation pathways vary at the regional level in the broader life sciences, which incorporate biotech and more. Innovation in the healthcare sector in two regions, Oxfordshire in the UK and Zurich in Switzerland are compared. We contextualize our discussion by drawing on studies that focus on the sector in the US, specifically Boston. The analytical framework comprises three elements: innovation systems and national and regional economic development theories are the first two, followed by approaches which consider organizational or institutional activity. This framework is used to help explain and understand the complexity of how innovation is organized at the sub-national level. The overall context is that it is increasing becoming a condition for government financing of research that it has more immediate application in industry or have the possibility of commercialisation (e.g., translational research). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]