Gary Packham

E-Learning and Retention Key Factors Influencing Student Withdrawal.

This study examines the causes for student withdrawals experienced in the E‐College Wales BA Enterprise programme. These key causes, identified by interview with former students are contrasted against the existing literature. The study found that successful e‐learners were typically female, non‐HE qualified, self employed and aged between 31 and 50. Eight prime causes of withdrawal were identified including technical problems, pressure of work and lack of time, which where categorised as extrinsic or intrinsic. Intrinsic factors were identified as internal course related barriers, which could be influenced by the course team. Extrinsic factors are barriers to e‐learning, which are external to the University such as employment issues and personal problems. This study contributes to knowledge in providing a conceptual framework for managing withdrawals and retentions illustrating key bodies and their interactions and identifying key strategies to overcome their negative influence. This paper will assist e‐learning providers in identifying and differentiating between causes of student withdrawal and creating strategies and systems to monitor and improve student retention.

Partnering in the house building sector: a subcontractor's view

Abstract Partnering can lead to house building projects being delivered quickly, efficiently and cost effectively. Indeed, research has shown that partnering arrangements can reduce construction time and can lead to efficiency on site. This is achieved by partnering a dedicated team of consultants, contractors and manufacturers, who develop their expertise over a series of projects. This paper examines how partnering impacts on the construction process and the effects of these arrangements on small construction enterprises (SCEs). It also outlines a recent case study investigating the impact of partnering on an SCE. The research involved a series of interviews with the managing director of a South Wales based subcontracting firm aimed at developing an understanding of how SCEs are treated within a partnering arrangement. Evidence from this study suggests that under its current guise partnering may not offer SCEs with many tangible benefits and often has a detrimental effect upon the contractor–subcontractor relationship.

Graduate entrepreneurs are different: they access more resources?

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether, and in what areas, graduate entrepreneurs are significantly different from non‐graduate entrepreneurs, both generally and in terms of external resources (advice, finance and public procurement contracts)., – The available literature was evaluated to identify issues affecting enterprise generally, and external resource access and use and educational attainment specifically. The data used were generated from the 2008 UK Federation of Small Businesses Survey, providing over 8,000 usable responses for this analysis. Quantitative analysis identified significant general characteristics of graduate entrepreneurs compared with non‐graduate entrepreneurs. Factor analysis was then used to identify the sets of advice, finance and public procurement customers of greatest interest, with independent samples t‐tests used to compare graduate and non‐graduate use thereof., – Graduate entrepreneur‐owned firms were statistically significantly more likely (than non‐graduate‐owned firms) to have younger owners, be younger and more export‐oriented businesses, in high knowledge services, to have intellectual property, make more use of web sites and be of high growth potential. In terms of external resources, graduate‐owned businesses were more likely to have received beneficial business advice from informal networks/trade associations, government business services, friends and family, customers and suppliers, and to have public procurement customers at the national/international level., – The study provides important empirical baseline data for future quantitative and qualitative studies focused on the impact of enterprise education specifically.

Peer-Assisted Student Support: A new approach to learning

The Great Britain Committee of Enquiry into Higher Education (1997) highlighted the significant role that higher education would be required to play in providing the United Kingdom with individuals that could consistently meet the demands of a global market place. Higher education institutions have been entrusted with the task of removing existing barriers to learning and implementing initiatives that will enable students to achieve beyond current expectations. A current initiative by the University of Glamorgan aims to meet some of the challenges laid down by the Great Britain Committee of Enquiry into Higher Education (1997). Peer-Assisted Student Support (PASS) is a scheme directed at facilitating student-centred learning. The initiative encourages students to take responsibility for the learning process in terms of academic achievement and social development. This article offers a unique insight into the scheme, detailing demographic and subject attendance patterns during Semester B of the 1997/98 academic year. Furthermore, the research undertaken also builds on previous work investigating the effect of support mechanisms on academic performance. The article reports that the scheme is primarily dominated by female attendees and students in the under-21 age group. Moreover, whilst the research substantiates previous claims that schemes such as PASS have a positive effect on academic performance, the nature of academic appraisal within the context studied suggests that this generalisation can only be extended to coursework-related assessment.

An exploration of the attitudes and strategic responses of sole-proprietor micro-enterprises in adopting information and communication technology

This article analyses longitudinal case-based research exploring the attitudes and strategic responses of micro-enterprise owners in adopting information and communication technology (ICT). In so doing, it contributes to the limited literature on micro-enterprise ICT adoption, with a particular focus on sole proprietors. It provides a basis for widening the theoretical base of the literature pertaining to ICT adoption on two levels. First, a framework is developed which integrates the findings to illustrate the relationships between attitudes towards ICT adoption, endogenous and exogenous influencers of these attitudes and subsequent strategic response in ICT adoption. Second, building upon this framework the article reveals the unique challenges, opportunities and implications of ICT adoption for sole-proprietor micro-enterprises.

Competing agendas in public procurement: An empirical analysis of opportunities and limits in the UK for SMEs

Government procurement policy in the UK is an uneasy mixture of different policy legacies, where the dominant objectives of cost-efficiency and value for money compete with alternatives which emphasise public procurement as central to innovation policy and/or a critical demand-side instrument in local and regional economic development. Quantitative analysis of which types of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) benefit, and how, from different levels of government as a customer is, however, rare in the UK (and indeed more widely across the EU). Utilising data from the Federation of Small Businesses 2008 biannual survey, we address this important task. Results reveal different patterns of procurement depending on the territorial scale of government, in terms of both the innovativeness of SMEs supported through public procurement as well as demand-side contributions to local and regional economic development, allowing us to judge future possible policy directions with regard to the use of public procurement.

Student and Tutor Perspectives of On-Line Moderation

Purpose – The on‐line tutor or e‐moderator faces a diversity of new challenges, including instructional design, organisation, direct instruction and facilitating discourse. This study aims to contrast the views of students and tutors regarding what factors constitute effective e‐moderation in order to identify key attributes of an on‐line tutor.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative methodology was adopted. The research utilised a semi‐structured interview technique to collect data contrasting and comparing the views of 35 students and 35 tutors on the constituents of effective e‐moderation.Findings – The paper finds that from a student perspective the quality of feedback, student support and module management were key attributes of an effective e‐moderator. In contrast tutors argued that motivating students, including the provision of constructive feedback and developing an engaging on‐line persona were critical to successful e‐moderation. Comparison revealed that students and tutors have a broadly ...

Attitudes and motivations of Polish students towards entrepreneurial activity

Purpose – The Polish economy is continuing its expansion through the adoption of free market economics in the post‐communist era. To encourage this growth in a future where difficult global economic conditions are likely to persist, it is essential that entrepreneurial activity is encouraged within the next generation of graduates. This study aims to explore the attitudes and motivations of Polish students towards an entrepreneurship education programme.Design/methodology/approach – To achieve the research objectives the methodological approach adopted for this study involved semi‐structured interviews undertaken with 122 Polish students. Each student undertook an interview within which they were asked to reflect on the impact of an entrepreneurship education programme on their entrepreneurial attitudes and motivations.Findings – This study builds on Jones et al., whose “snapshot” study found that Polish students had limited prior entrepreneurial experiences and expectations and welcomed the opportunity t...

New and young firms: Entrepreneurship policy and the role of government – evidence from the Federation of Small Businesses survey

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether new and young firms are different from older firms. This analysis is undertaken to explore general characteristics, use of external resources and growth orientation.Design/methodology/approach – Data from the 2008 UK Federation of Small Businesses survey provided 8,000 responses. Quantitative analysis identified significantly different characteristics of firms from 0‐4, 4‐9, 9‐19 and 20+ years. Factor analysis was utilised to identify the advice sets, finance and public procurement customers of greatest interest, with ANOVA used to statistically compare firms in the identified age groups with different growth aspirations.Findings – The findings reveal key differences between new, young and older firms in terms of characteristics including business sector, owner/manager age, education/business experience, legal status, intellectual property and trading performance. New and young firms were more able to access beneficial resources in terms of fin...

False promises: e-business deployment in Wales' SME community

Purpose – This study aims to examine usage and deployment trends of e‐business technologies within the small and medium‐sized enterprise (SMEs) community in Wales, since the turn of the millennium. Analysis of prior surveys such as the Department of Trade and Industry and Federation of Small Business reveals poor adoption levels of basic information and communication technology deployment and minimal uptake of sophisticated technologies in comparison to other UK regions. Uptake of e‐business was assessed through a quantitative survey of SMEs and contrasted against prior studies undertaken within Wales since 2000 to identify trends and levels of adoption.Design/methodology/approach – The study is comprised of a survey of 500 SMEs including a representative population from diverse geographical and economic regions within Wales. The survey deployed a proportionately stratified and representative sampling technique, whereby two‐thirds of the enterprises selected were micro sized classified enterprises with no...