Davar Rezania

An evaluation system for training programs: a case study using a four‐phase approach

Purpose – With the increased importance of training in organizations, creating important and meaningful programs are critical to an organization and its members. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a four‐phase systematic approach to designing and evaluating training programs that promotes collaboration between organizational leaders, trainers, participants and evaluators.Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a case study of a leadership training program conducted at a Midwestern corporate university. Analysis of the qualitative data from interviews with participants and field notes during the first two iterations of the program highlight three major aspects that were then used to develop a unique measure for the evaluation of subsequent iterations. The case study was conducted over a period of 31/2 years involving a total of 175 managers.Findings – A main finding in this study was that content was three times stronger than applicability. This finding was critical in understanding the learn...

Coaching IT project teams: a design toolkit

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed explanation of a design toolkit for coaching project teams.Design/methodology/approach – It is first explained that approach to coaching teams using a measure that captures the real and ideal interactions for the 12 information technology (IT) project teams in this paper.Findings – Based on the analysis of data from the coaching sessions, characteristics of a design toolkit are proposed for coaching IT project teams.Research limitations/implications – A more comprehensive picture of team learning that takes into account non‐measurable dimensions of interaction might be of value in the kernel theories. More cases are required to verify the design theory in other contexts.Practical implications – Project managers and team leaders can benefit form this design toolkit to approach coaching their teams.Originality/value – This approach complements current models of team coaching.

Towards a method to disseminate knowledge from the post project review

In this paper we review several issues associated with post project review and dissemination of knowledge in information technology projects. We reflect on our practice of coaching project teams. In identifying the role of social pressure in forming teams’ perception of their performance, we suggest what could potentially be an interesting and fruitful avenue of future research on an approach to post project review and dissemination of knowledge in organizations.

Organization development through ad hoc problem solving

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to study the ad hoc problem of developing capabilities for knowledge transfer between various constituencies of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation project. The paper studies how an ERP project develops ability to network, link, and integrate its various knowledge resources over time. Design/methodology/approach – The paper conducted a case study of an ERP project, from its initiation in 2008 to its completion in 2011. Findings – The case demonstrates the dynamics of development of knowledge transfer capacities through ad hoc problem solving. The paper identifies five mechanisms used in this case for the development of knowledge transfer capacities. Practical implications – Ad hoc problem solving mechanisms demonstrated in this paper can be intentionally planned and utilized in similar projects to enable interaction, integration, and institutionalization. Originality/value – Even though ad hoc problem solving as a model for change is prevalent in ...

Building successful student-athlete coach relationships: examining coaching practices and commitment to the coach

In this study we utilized the concept of commitment to explain the impact of coaching practices on student-athlete’s behaviour. We examined the impact of commitment to the coach on the coaching outcome of in-role behaviour, and the influence of coaching practices, of information sharing, training, and encouraging teamwork, on the formation of relationships. We adopted measures from the organizational behaviour literature and surveyed student-athletes at two universities in Canada. The sample included data from 165 student-athletes from two universities. Results from structural equation modeling indicate support for the effect of coaching practices on commitment to the coach. Results also support the effect of commitment to the coach on the student-athletes’ role behaviour and performance. By showing that coaching practices impact commitment to the coach, and that commitment to the coach impacts student-athlete role behaviour and performance, the findings have important implications for a better understanding of the determinants of coaches’ and athletes’ performance. The managerial significance of this research rests in the insight provided into how coaching practices influence athlete’s behaviour through commitment to the coach. This study contributes to the literature on coach-athlete relationship within universities and colleges by applying the concept of commitment to the coach. This helps diversity research approaches to understanding coach-athlete relationships and extends prior research on commitment by looking at the context of the relationship between the student-athlete and their coach.

Project control: an exploratory study of levers of control in the context of managing projects

Purpose This paper aims to examine the levers of control (LOC) framework in the context of managing projects. The authors explore the impact of diagnostic systems, interactive systems, beliefs systems and boundary systems on project performance and explore the association between control levers. Design/methodology/approach Using data gathered from 113 project managers representing 38 organizations, the authors used the partial least squares path modelling algorithm to analyse the data. Findings The analysis validates the LOC framework in the context of managing projects and reveals the interrelatedness of control systems and their impact on project performance. Research limitations/implications The conclusions support the current emphasis on performance reporting and change control and highlight the need to consider the interdependencies between control levers. Originality/value This study re-conceptualizes project control by using the LOC framework in the context of managing projects as temporary organizations. This provides a model for investigating and understanding project management control systems that consider the interaction of control mechanisms. Furthermore, the associations between the four control systems and project performance are examined, rather than individual mechanisms in isolation.

Measuring and exploring factors affecting students’ willingness to engage in peer mentoring

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to measure students’ willingness to mentor their peers and explores key factors to student peer mentoring effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a hybrid research methodology consisting of a survey and a focus group discussion. The survey was conducted with students of a bachelor of commerce (BCom) program of a North American university to analyze the impact of organizational culture and altruism on their willingness to mentor their peers. The focus group discussion was carried out with students of the same program to explore the objectives, focus, and factors contributing to their willingness to mentor and to peer mentoring effectiveness. Findings – Organizational culture and altruism significantly affect students’ emotional and intentional willingness to mentor their peers. Peer mentoring can help students prepare their transition from high school to university, guide them through university programs, and help them prepare their transition from...

A Scoping Review of Accountability in Social Entrepreneurship

The aim of this article is to do a scoping review of accountability in the context of social entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurship is becoming an important business model, while the concept of accountability is prevalent in today’s environment. The scoping review is a type of literature search with certain important distinctions from a literature review. Systematically, the scoping review explores the literature from a relevance viewpoint rather than by evaluating the quality of the research. Then the data are mapped or charted to identify key themes and gaps in the literature. We observe that accountability in social entrepreneurship is viewed and studied in three different ways: as a relationship between parties, as an outcome, or as a predictor variable. We also observe that most of the research is done in the United States, Europe, and Australia. Finally we observe that research methodologies utilized are primarily based around qualitative methods or conceptual descriptions.

The Effect of Coaching Practices on Psychological Contract Fulfillment of Student-Athletes

Abstract We examine the relationships between coaching practices, psychological contract fulfillment and the impact it has on satisfaction and in-role behavior of student-athletes. We surveyed a total of 183 student-athletes in Canada. Utilizing Partial Least Squares path modeling algorithm, the results confirm that the extent of psychological contract fulfillment is positively related to satisfaction and role-behavior. In addition, practices of compensation, information sharing, and security (i.e. ensuring continuation of position on the team) are related to fulfillment of psychological contracts. However, the data does not provide support for the idea that training is related to the fulfillment of psychological contracts. The results suggest that universities can manage students-athletes’ expectations by institutionalizing coaching practices that signal commitments for compensation, information sharing, and provide assurance of position on the team. Such practices have potential to improve the athlete’s performance.

Making Sense of Experiential Learning in Management Education

This chapter is about how individual students and groups of students make sense of the experiential exercise they engage in during a classroom training session. It takes as its starting point the wealth of literature on experiential learning, where learning is viewed as a process of experience, reflection, abstraction, and action. Using two cases, it draws on sensemaking theory to place the experiential learning process in a wider context in which individuals and groups author stories which help them to connect themselves to what they consider to be desirable ends, think well of themselves in moral terms, and succeed in their society.