Deborah Blackman

A Guide to Understanding Social Science Research for Natural Scientists

Natural scientists are increasingly interested in social research because they recognize that conservation problems are commonly social problems. Interpreting social research, however, requires at least a basic understanding of the philosophical principles and theoretical assumptions of the discipline, which are embedded in the design of social research. Natural scientists who engage in social science but are unfamiliar with these principles and assumptions can misinterpret their results. We developed a guide to assist natural scientists in understanding the philosophical basis of social science to support the meaningful interpretation of social research outcomes. The 3 fundamental elements of research are ontology, what exists in the human world that researchers can acquire knowledge about; epistemology, how knowledge is created; and philosophical perspective, the philosophical orientation of the researcher that guides her or his action. Many elements of the guide also apply to the natural sciences. Natural scientists can use the guide to assist them in interpreting social science research to determine how the ontological position of the researcher can influence the nature of the research; how the epistemological position can be used to support the legitimacy of different types of knowledge; and how philosophical perspective can shape the researchers choice of methods and affect interpretation, communication, and application of results. The use of this guide can also support and promote the effective integration of the natural and social sciences to generate more insightful and relevant conservation research outcomes.

Can research methods ever be interesting

This article reflects upon a process of curriculum redesign undertaken with an aim to improve the student learning experience of research methods via an activity-based approach. Historically, the way in which research methods were being taught within Southampton Business School did not fully engage student interest, and it was not well applied to further study of the subsequent modules including the dissertation. The article discusses the changes that were made to the module, which led to a developmental and experiential programme. The learners appear to be better prepared for their subsequent research and indicate that this approach better facilitated their understanding of the subject. Future developments will include collecting more empirical evidence to support the offering of this activity-based approach throughout the Southampton Business School.

An Exploration of the Relationship between Learning Organisations and the Retention of Knowledge Workers.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to demonstrate a relationship between learning organisation theory and the potential to retain knowledge workers. It emphasises that human resource (HR) managers must recognise specific relationships between learning organisation elements, job satisfaction facets and turnover intent as they emerge for their knowledge workers.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was undertaken sampling knowledge workers in the information technology (IT) industry. Measured on a Likert scale, the instrument was designed to explore the impact of learning organisation disciplines upon job satisfaction and the importance of job satisfaction in determining turnover intent.Findings – Analysis of the survey showed evidence of a relationship between learning organisation disciplines and turnover intent. All the learning organisation disciplines discussed in the paper correlated to at least one of the six job satisfaction dimensions, of which reward and challenge exerted the most significant...

Does Double Loop Learning Create Reliable Knowledge

This paper addresses doubts concerning the reliability of knowledge being created by double loop learning processes. Poppers ontological worlds are used to explore the philosophical basis of the way that individual experiences are turned into organisational knowledge, and such knowledge is used to generate organisational learning. The paper suggests that double loop learning may frequently create mistakes and fail to detect possible interesting lines of thought. Poppers work is used to suggest some solutions and an elaboration of the double loop learning process, but ultimately effective organisational learning is shown to depend on the undertaking of an epistemological burden by individuals above and beyond what is usually explicated in prescriptions for learning organisation and knowledge management.

You Win Some, You Lose Some: Experiments with Joined-Up Government

In 2004 a bold experiment in the use of joined-up approaches to policy-making and implementation, best captured in the design of new policy architecture and the creation of a co-location model for service delivery, was undertaken to address the entrenched disadvantage of Indigenous Australians. In this article we report on inhibitors, explaining the under-performance of the joined-up experiment, and facilitators, which explain, in part, the existence of a small number of examples defying the broader trend.

Developing a Framework for Evaluating Olympic and Paralympic Legacies

This paper seeks to add to the discourse surrounding Olympic and Paralympic legacies by proposing a flexible research framework that draws from previous research on legacies. It is noted that the bulk of the research has focussed on summer Olympics with little interest in Winter Olympics and virtually none for either the Summer or Winter Paralympics. Using the legacy radar framework, ‘profiles’ may be generated to aid in the comparison between diverse legacies that may occur in different fields, such as sport, infrastructure, social capital, the environment and economic impacts, over a range of dimensions including time, place and costs. It is suggested that this framework has the potential for further development to reflect the changing agendas of host communities and interest groups. The dimensions include positive and negative legacies and metrics that may be applied across events.

The Silent and the Silenced in Organizational Knowing and Learning

Research on silence within organizations and learning is sparse. This article is concerned with exploring the concept of silence in organizational settings, delineating its various forms (silent and silenced) and critically examining the relevance of these various manifestations for management and organizational learning. Following a brief review of the concept of the Polanyian notion of tacitness and how it relates to our conceptualization of silence, we offer a taxonomy of silence comprised of several ways of knowing (tacit, intuitive, insightful and pre-conscious) and voice (repressed, withheld and suppressed). The theoretical and practical implications of the taxonomy for management education, training and development are discussed.

Knowledge Management and Effective University Governance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the relationship between governance and knowledge management in an Australian university, paying attention to the ways in which the notions of knowledge, constructions of the role of governing councils and shared understandings about performance in committee roles, might impact on the universitys future success. Design/methodology/approach – Earls taxonomy of knowledge is extended to reflect more recent literature and used as the framework of analysis for a qualitative case study which is based on observations and interview data garnered from key governance committees. Findings – The paper illustrates that effective governance and strategic success are dependent on appropriate knowledge manipulation activities. The authors conclude that in the case example, the types of knowledge targeted are narrow and committee members are focused on processes that do not effectively enable the creation or transfer of knowledge. Research limitations/implications – This is a single case study and further research would be required in order to confirm the exploratory findings. Practical implications – An important shift in improving effective knowledge strategies in the organisation will involve the reconceptualisation of the role of knowledge in the university. Originality/value – This paper makes two major contributions to the literature; the extension of Earls typology to reflect current knowledge management literature, and the identification of a lack of knowledge management as a major weakness in university governance. The paper begins to unravel the practical issues that constrain strategic decision making.

The Role of Mental Models in Innovative Teams

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the role of mental models in knowledge development in order to demonstrate how the type and strength of the mental models held by a team contribute to its success in general and to innovation in particular. Design/methodology/approach – Two cases are analysed (a successful and an unsuccessful team) which were developed via observation and interviews. The mental models in each case were analysed to map them to the success or otherwise of the teams. Findings – The first case demonstrates that mental models in a multidisciplinary team can provide opportunity for a shared generation of knowledge for process innovation while open to external influence. The second case demonstrates that, where there are strongly shared mental models that prevent the team from constructing an accurate picture of their present by closing out external influences and pre-selecting desired knowledge, opportunities for innovation are shut down. Practical implications – Where mental models provide a sharing framework without closing out the networks and systems that sustain them, they can foster and support innovation. Managing team openness becomes a priority for supporting innovation. Team leaders will need to consider what types of mental models are developing and foster a focus on innovative outcomes and not processes. A concentration on understanding the current context via challenging given assumptions is recommended. Originality/value – The paper offers clear, practical examples of the results of teams being encouraged to utilise open and closed systems of mental models.

How Foresight Creates Unforeseen Futures: The Role of Doubting

This paper defines foresight as being a mental model about the future and considers the role of foresight in shaping actions and events reflected in imperious, heroic, tragic and chaotic futures (defined within the paper). The paper contends that success in foresight is not about acquiring knowledge or using it to build pictures about the future. Rather, it is the expectations that come with such processes that cause organisational closure, and thus chaotic and tragic futures. The argument is made that firms need to doubt much more than they do.Two processes of doubting are described: the first (single loop doubting) shows how differences between expectations and perception cause doubt that (whenever the underlying mental model is sufficiently plastic) is accommodated by social processes without change. The second process, called double loop doubting, is based on genuine attempts to refute, rather than confirm, mental models about the future. The contention is that such processes would lower expectations and certainty, thereby opening the organisation and enabling mental models to be more accurate.