LSC Researchers Quarterly 3 (1) April 2015

Vol. 3, Issue 1 | April 2015

ResearchersQuarterly

Research

Centre1

LSC Researchers Quarterly 3 (1) April 2015

The LSC Researchers Quarterly is

now into its second full year of

publication. It has served to promote

research supervision, academic

writing and publishing for PhD

researchers, directors of study and

supervisors.

Peer Support Networks (PSN) have

proved to be successful in

supporting PhD researchers, who

have found expert support from

peers and even made friends. A

PSN is a very good example of

„enhancement‟ methods to deliver

research training; such pedagogic

methods are extra to the formal

required supervisory contact.

A new virtual PSN has been set up

to support PhD researchers who

cannot be at the Research Center

and Eka‟s piece reports on the

benefits she has derived from this

virtual PSN, being based in Georgia,

Tbilisi.

LSC PhD Researchers have been

remarkably successful in getting

research published at conferences

and in journal papers.

Dadang Prasetyo Jatmiko is the

exceptional epitome. He has had

several papers accepted in top

ranking journals. Congratulations

Dedang!!

Research ethics is important and we

reprint Professor Scott Fleming‟s ,

Chair of University RDC, piece on

research ethics for PhD researchers‟

benefit.

Okopala Blessing is thinking

beyond her PhD about her

future career. She offers

sound scholarly advise,

based on theory of social

networking ,on how to

develop a professional

network necessary to

continue to research and

deliver publications. This is a

good example of a skill for

your Professional

Development Portfolio

(PDP).

It is vital for your continued

PhD registration that the

AMR is completed. Begin it

during the 10 month of the

registration year and submit

before the end of the

registration year. The

University RDC will not

permit PhD students to

remain on the programme

when they have not

completed the AMR.

Editor

Dr Nandish Patel Research Degrees

Programme Leader

Professor Don

Harper, Director

Research Degrees

Programmes

Mr Sheku FofanahPhD Administration

The LSC

Researchers

Quarterly is a

publication of

the LSC Group

of Colleges. It

aims to publish

the LSC

research and

promote

research

training through

reflective

practice.

LSC Research

Centre

Pocock House

Campus

235 Southwark

Bridge Road

London SE1 6NP

Research

Centre

LSC is a division of St. Piran’s School (GB) Ltd.

Dr Nandish V Patel

2LSC Researchers Quarterly 3 (1) April 2015

CEO Meeting14 January 2015

Tim Andradi

Tim Andradi, CEO, Mr Benny Abraham, Marketing Director and Mr Rajiv Gupta,

Operations Director officiated at the CEO Meeting. Tim Andradi presented the LSC

global educational strategy and the global presence of the LSC Group of Colleges. He

urged supervisory teams to provide PhD students with a rich research experience that

leads to successful completion of their PhD. Successful completions means new

students can be recruited to give them the benefit of obtaining the PhD qualification at

an affordable price, thereby widening access to higher education globally. Mr Rajiv

Gupta covered attendance monitoring and UKVI regulations. Students are classified

as immigrants by the UKVI it requires the LSC to strictly monitor their attendance. This

means that all supervisors themselves need to hold the regular monthly supervision

meetings.

Professor Don Harper, Professor Eleri Jones, Dr Nandish V. Patel and Mr. Sheku

Fofanah then met with the supervisors and directors of studies to update them and

discuss problems, including students‟ progress – recording lack of progress to enable

corrective action; MPhil – offer as alternative to weaker students; AMR – responsibility

of supervisors; RDP – must be given priority. Feedback to PhD researchers– good

quality and timely feedback; Attendance; PhD Completions; Supervision meetings on

campus; Role of the Mock Viva; Supervision – evidence-based supervision to

compose the thesis monthly.

Afterwards, everyone enjoyed a glass of wine or two!! and buffet dinner, and made the

most of the networking opportunity.

3


LSC Researchers Quarterly 3 (1) April 2015 4

SUPERVISION PREPARATION

Preparation for supervision is critical for PhD researchers to succeed. This requires

the supervisor and director of studies to keep proper track of the student‟s research

project. To enable this, the Phd Progression Record details the milestones in the

research project and can be used by supervisors to track progress.

I am certain that colleagues will have their own ideas on how they prepare to

supervise their research students. I welcome articles on your opinions on how to

supervise, as well as articles on formal supervision pedagogy. Particularly, articles

that address the problematical articulation of „quality‟ aspect of research supervision.

Of course, supervision preparation also requires students to produce written work as

evidence of progress and to enable supervisors and directors of studies to enable

them to provide appropriate guidance. Such work includes ongoing drafting of the

thesis chapters and the research instruments for data collection and analysis. It also

includes the RDP, AMR and Ethical Approval form. Lack of progress on these

matters will be recorded by the supervisor on the Record of Progress form at the

monthly supervision meeting.

Supervisors may submit an article on this interesting pedagogy and any other

aspects of research supervision, including how your research students themselves

should prepare for their supervisory meeting. Editor.

Dr Arvind Upadhyay, Director of Studies (Left)

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RETURN, PRICE TO EARNINGS RATIO, PRICE TOBOOK VALUE RATIO, SIZE AND BETA IN DIFFERENT DATA PERIOD

Dadang Prasetyo Jatmiko

Abstract

This study uses five variables in which each of these variables were taken from 100 randomly

selected companies from around 344 companies listed in Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) in order to

understand the relationship between price to earnings ratio (PER), price to book value ratio (PBV),

size (log) and beta as independent variables with variable returns as dependent variable. The

period of the data used is from 2010 to 2012 for the four independent variables and from 2009 until

2011 for the dependent variable. In the return of 2009 there is one variable that is statistically

proven to correlate with the return. The independent variable is the price to earnings ratio (PER),

but the notation of PER is negative. However, the return of 2010 According to the table above, it

appears that for the fault tolerance of 5%, none of the independent variables that are statistically

proven separately correlated with returns. As for a return in 2011, returns variable is statistically

shown to correlate with a beta variable with a significance level of 0.007 and with a coefficient of

0.333. Pearson correlation analysis was also performed on Panel Data, but none of the

independent variables are statistically proven to have a relationship with the return. Furthermore,

seen also how the relationship between the variables PER, PBV, log size and beta with multiple

returns in a model as well as the relationship between PER, PBV, size and beta with the expected

return.

Keywords: beta, PER, PBV, size.

JEL Classification: G12, G13, G14.

Prasetyo D (2015) Investment Management and Financial Innovations, Volume 12, Issue 1, 2015.


University ofSouth WalesPrifysgolDeCymru

Mazen Joureih

This is to certify that Mazen Joureih has been awarded theBest Student Paper

'A Matter of Leaming: How Human Resource Training and Development Practices Affect Higher Education Service

Performance‘

By the Emerging Themes in Business 2014 Research Conference

University of South WalesCity CampusUsk WayNewportNP202BPFriday 2nd May 2015Professor Andrew ThomasHead of South Wales Business School


A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF FACTORS AFFECTING E-COMMERCE ADOPTION BY SME OWNER/MANAGERS IN JORDAN

Mohammad Alrousan , [email protected], Eleri Jones , [email protected] Cardiff Metropolitan

University

AbstractSMEs have become an important element in economic growth, particularly in developing

countries. Since the Internet revolution, Internet usage in business environment (e-

commerce) has changed the way of doing business in SMEs. It is well known that e-

commerce is essential for SMEs in enhancing their competitiveness, productivity,

efficiency, access to global markets and cost reduction. Despite such benefits, it has been

reported that SMEs in developing countries, such as Jordan, have been slow to adopt e-

commerce. This highlights the need to understand the factors influencing/inhibiting e-

commerce adoption by SMEs owners/managers in Jordan and determining their level of

adoption of the Internet. This paper reviews the background, strengths and weaknesses

of the major models and theories relevant to technology adoption: Technology Acceptance

Model (TAM); Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA); Technology-Organization Environment

(TOE); Diffusion of Innovation (DoI) and Hofstede‟s Cultural Dimensions. Also, the

literature review shows the most common sequences in level of e-commerce adoption in

SMEs: Rao Model; Daniel Model; PriceWaterhouseCoopers Model; Rayport and Jaworski

Model; Lefebvrea et al. Model and Leadership Typologies for Staged Technology

Adoption). On the bases of these theories and models a conceptual framework for SMEs‟

e-commerce adoption level in Jordan is suggested. This conceptual framework can be

tested empirically for SMEs in Jordan as well as other Arab countries.

Keywords: e-commerce, SMEs, Adoption , Technology Acceptance model , Theory of ReasonedAction model, Diffusion of innovation model, Technology-Organization- Environment model,Hofstede, e-commerce levels.


mailto:[email protected]


Preparing a Research Degree Proposal (RDP) - Ethical Approval and Risk Assessment

Professor Scott FlemingUniversity Director of Research and Graduate StudiesChair, Research Degrees CommitteeCardiff Metropolitan University

The Research Degree Proposal (RDP) sets out an intended direction of travel for a programme of research. There are two relatively brief sections of around 200 words each that require some thought to be given to 'ethical approval' and to 'risk assessment' - see Research Degree Proposal -Guidance Notes for the Completion of the Form.

The section on ethical approval is concerned primarily with an identification of the key themes and issues that will arise or are foreseeable possibilities. Full consideration of them occurs in a separate process and requires the completion of the Application for Ethics Approval form. For the RDP, though, it is sufficient merely to indicate that good practice in research ethics has been formed part of the planning of the research.

An important point of departure for this task is voluntary informed consent (VIC) - a cornerstone of research ethics governance. Most projects will address VIC very transparently, but for those that do not, a rationale will be expected (see Fleming, 2013). In dealing with VIC some thought should be given to harm, anonymity, data protection, and so on. There may also be particular concerns about research that is sensitive, and may lead to 'guilty knowledge' or even 'dirty hands', as well as other matters linked to vulnerable populations, the law of the land, and the codes of conduct of subject associations and/or professional bodies. Crucially, though, this part of the RDP requires more than just confirmation of compliance with Cardiff Metropolitan University's principles and procedures for research ethics.

As an aside, if you’re looking for somewhere to start on this aspect of the RDP, Roger Homan’s (1991) book, The Ethics of Social Research, remains as relevant now as it was when it was published

first. It is also engagingly written and conceptually sophisticated.

Consideration of risk assessment is linked to research ethics. Simply, it is based on anticipation of the things that might go wrong, how likely those eventualities are, and what can be put in place to limit the damage caused by them. Generally, researchers are very good at recognizing the risks to participants in empirical studies, and the principle of 'McFee's Friends' guides research conduct. That is to say, researchers should treat research participants as though they were their close friends (McFee 2010). In contrast, researchers are generally less skilled at anticipating the risks to themselves, to other persons who are not participants, and in particular to the risks to a project as a whole. For instance, what if access to an expected research context or environment becomes impossible? What are the implications of being unable to recruit sufficient participants? How would the proposed research be affected by the resignation of the main 'gatekeeper' who has granted permission for an organisation to be the focus of the research when it has started? This section of the RDP should make clear the contingency planning should these risks become realities. (Incidentally, including this bracketed sentence, the present paragraph about risk assessment has 213 words - slightly more than the approximate amount expected in the RDP.)

The consideration of research ethics and the risks associated with a project are all part of the planning of a well-managed project. These sections of the RDP just enable the applicant to make the careful thinking explicit.

ReferencesFleming, S. (2013) Social research in sport (and beyond) – Notes on exceptions to informed consent. Research Ethics 9 (1): 32-43. Homan, R. (1991) The Ethics of Social Research. London: Longman.McFee, G. (2010) Ethics, knowledge and truth in sports research: An epistemologyof sport. London: Routledge.

“…researchers should treat

research participants as

though they were their

close friends…”

8


EUROPEAN BANKING: TRENDS AND CHALLENGESDr Ricardo Gouveia

Research Supervisor, London School of Commerce

European banking activity is fundamentally based on retail and business banking. Although there

has been an increase in the capital base in recent years, the fact is that the ROE is still behind US

counterparts due to balance cleaning still in progress in EU27 as noted by Roland Berger (2014).

In corporate and investment banking segments, which generated in 2013 a ROE barely covering

the cost of capital, the available alternative strategic options are, amongst others: to become

market risk effective business units, to point at a cost-effective business operation or, in alternative,

to assume a hybrid strategic position.

In terms of retail and business banking, the Nordic and CEE are geographies clearly more

profitable than the European Union average. On the other side of the spectrum, the economic

problems in Italy have hurt profitability whereas the rebound in Iberia, especially in Spain, is

experiencing new dynamics which, hopefully, will impact positively on the balance of the banks, in

the near future.

Amongst the key tasks of retail banking is redefinition of the role of retail branches. It is obvious

that the sector will not progress into a branchless business model as noted by Cap Gemini (2013).

However, there is a consensus that number of branches will steadily decline and, at the same time,

the sector will have to cope with the digital revolution, which will disrupt the traditional branch

based business model. Apparently, new competitors (GAFA)(1) will emerge adding additional

pressure on the existing market players.

In conclusion, a number interesting research topics may emerge either in the corporate and

investment banking segments, where it will be captivating to research on how banks, in face of the

economic uncertainties prevailing in Europe, strategically position their own corporate and

investment units. On the other hand, it will be appealing to research how retail and business

banking units will deal with the pressures digital disruption will cause to their business models.

9


(1) GAFA – Google, Amazon, Facebook and AppleReferencesCap Gemini. (2014) Trends in Retail Banking Channels: Opportunities in a Changing LandscapeKey emerging technology trends that are changing the way banks do business. Available from: http://www.capgemini.com/resource-file-access/resource/pdf/trends_in_retail_banking_channels_opportunities_in_a_changing_landscape.pdf. [Accessed: March 2nd 2014].Roland Berger. (2014). The state of the European Banking Industry. Available from http://www.rolandberger.de/media/pdf/Roland_Berger_State_of_European_Banking_Industry_20140721.pdf. [Accessed: March 2nd 2015].

Dr Ricardo Gouveia is an Associate Editor for the current volume ofKnowledge Management: An International Journal and a reviewerfor the same journal. He has had extensive executive experience incorporate banking and finance in Europe and globally. He is alsothe Director of the LSC Special Interest Group in Banking

http://www.capgemini.com/resource-file-access/resource/pdf/trends_in_retail_banking_channels_opportunities_in_a_changing_landscape.pdf






UNDERSTANDING ROLE OF PERCEPTION AND

INTERPRETATION IN COMMUNICATION

Dr Arvind UpadhyayResearch Fellow and Director of Studies

Communication is exchanging ideas, facts and

feelings with other people so that they

understand you as you mean to be understood

and vice versa. So, communication is a two way

process between the sender and the receiver

involving the transmission of information and

exchange of meaning at least between two

people. It involves coding, a process in which the

sender of the message chooses words and also

chooses how the message will be expressed

(loudly, quietly, in a relaxed friendly manner etc.),

and decoding, a process in which the recipient

interprets a message transmitted to them.

Therefore, communication is not just about

sending and receiving a message, it also involves

checking understanding and seeking feedback.

Feedback is when the receiver shows that he/she

has received and decoded the message

correctly. We can say communication has been

successful only when the receiver accurately

decodes and feedbacks appropriately.

Perception

Perception is the process by which we notice or

become aware of what is going on around us. We

have different social and physical background,

different past learning and personalities, which

gives us different perceptions. Hence, we all

perceive things somewhat differently and

sometimes misinterpret the message or ascribe

the wrong meaning to it.

Therefore, avoid stereotyping and avoid aspects

of behaviour, which are influenced by

appearance, age, gender and dress sense,

because this may result in communication

discrimination. A point about age is that we tend

to relate more easily to people of similar age.

Interpretation in Non-Verbal Communication

(NVC)

NVC is communication in a mode that does not

involve words. It involves decoding meaning

through behaviours such as facial expressions,

limb gestures and body postures. NVC is an

integral part of effective communication. It is not

what we hear; it is also what we see that

influences the nature and meaning of

communication. When the verbal message is

inconsistent with the non-verbal message, the

non-verbal message is believed, and listeners

discount the verbal component. NVC is often

called a „relationship language‟. This is how we

communicate trust, boredom, submission, dislike

and friendship without having to indicate these

feelings openly or directly. In our communication

with other people the message about our feelings

and attitudes come only 7% from the words we

use, 38% from our voice tone and 55% from

body language.

Therefore, in effective communication it is

important to pay attention to both the verbal and

NVC. We usually send and receive non-verbal

messages unconsciously. The best

communicators use the positive body language

technique unconsciously: these include use of

suitable facial expressions, always maintaining

good eye contact, and paying careful attention to

posture and gestures. However, it is possible

(though not always easy) both to control most of

the NVC we send and consciously be aware of

and read the cues that others are giving us.

For example, when someone wishes to indicate

openness, liking, agreement or friendship, they

are likely to turn their body towards you, look

straight in the face, establish regular eye contact

and look away infrequently, and to nod and smile

a lot, keeping their hands and arms by their sides

or in front of them.

This cluster conveys openness, or positive NVC. Similarly we can identify disagreement, or dislike

by negative NVC. This cluster usually includes a close posture, which often involves turning the

body away, loss of eye contact, wandering gaze, looking elsewhere and a lack of nods and smiles.

A word of caution may be in order: the above examples are some general NVC behaviour, however

we should keep in mind that the use and interpretation of non-verbal behaviour may differ from

culture to culture.


Friendship Without Borders

Ekaterine Nadareishvili (second from the right)

Georgia, Tbilisi

I don’t want to write about the tough journey we all have selected as PhDstudents, I simply want to share the unique experience of being an overseasbased student. As all other students, I also feel massive stress associated withbeing a PhD student, but each trip to London is filled with immense excitementof seeing my unique and exceptional peer group which turned into a one bigfamily.

We are all human beings in need of support and passion, and especially in toughtimes when even minor encouragement and inspiration can bring immensechange in our attitude and feelings. On the very first day Dr. Nandish Patelhighlighted the importance of peer support and encouraged all students tocreate a peer support group, Peer Support Network (PSN), to share experience,knowledge and practical insight among folks who truly understand what they aregoing through along the PhD path. Initially, that sounded just like nice clichéwords that we hear a lot, but today I can openly admit that peer support is themost relevant part of being a PhD student; for me it turned into the mostpowerful support that immensely facilitates in overcoming difficulties that weencounter at each step of the research process.


Initially most of us, as fresh members of a big research group, believe that PhD isjust general thesis writing and often we fail to grant adequate consideration toworkload incorporated into the process of achieving the desired outcome fromthe research process. However, the reality turns out to be inconsistent with theexpectations that trigger even more uncertainty and fear, which creates a biggap, making students feel isolated and perplexed, since all of us are coming fromvarious educational and professional backgrounds.

In this turmoil, peer support group can provide space for each student to talkabout concerns, feelings and available options for finding reasonable solution toour various research topics and workloads. This is exactly how we support eachother. Peer support represents a reliable and credible source of information,since we as peers share similar experiences and social norms and are thereforebetter placed to provide relevant, meaningful, explicit and honest information.Time and distance became less a problem today, because technologicaladvancements enable us to stay in touch through application of various socialnetworks and tools. Peer support is the best encouragement and support for us,since nobody can understand you better than your peers, being in a similarposition. I’m blessed for being a part of the family we created at LSC.

My advice to all students will be to initiate peer support group, this is not justshelter where support is always available but more importantly it is a newfriendship, emotional support sympathy and inspiration. We, as our peersupport group, often sit together when we are all in London to share experience,ideas and simply to enjoy the company of each other. Even when we are indifferent parts of the words we have set one day in the week which is dedicatedto Skype call. This I will call a big network however we enjoy having a smallernetwork though WhatsApp where we talk almost every day whenever we needeach other’s assistance or just to say hi!!!!!!! Sometimes we even forget how farwe are from each other. This is friendship without border, the best thing inlife!!!!


NETWORKING AND ACADEMIC CAREER: THE WAY FORWARD

Okpala Blessing

The motivation to write this article is rooted in the inspiration I had while I was on my way back

home from school. While some students endeavour to make new connections to widen their

academic career opportunities, some others believe they can single-handedly make a forest.

Although some students aspire to network amongst themselves and beyond, others assume this

aspect of life is so irrelevant. Siemen‟s (2005), theory of connectivism supports the perception that

a networked association is of immense importance in maintaining a collaborative linkage to

promote information sharing and communication. But the question is: Of what benefit is networking

to academic pursuits of research students?

Stenken and Zajicek (2009), recommend that the core aspect of developing any career of which

academics is the bedrock, is possessing the skills to explore and utilize opportunities as they

emanate. Exploring these opportunities requires taking some sort of risks, taking some bold steps

and sometimes requesting for a lot more than has initially been offered. Networking is the formal

and informal relationships between groups of individuals in order to foster excellent career. Goza

and Ryabov (2009) agree that peer network can greatly influence the academic outcomes of

individuals. Although some studies suggest that peer networking pose a negative influence on the

performance of students however, the above authors agree that there are positive connections

between networking and academic success, like acquisition to good grades, honors, studying hard

and future working career.

It is apparent that most academics overlook their colleagues who are committed networkers.

However, they fail to acknowledge that connections are very paramount for a successful academic

career too. It is noteworthy that being intelligent and studious is not sufficient to attain a great

academic height as well as potential work careers. Apart from high academic performance, good

human relationship and cooperation, networking also determines the course of future professional

careers. For example, upon acquiring a doctorate degree, valuable performance in the form of

writing, submitting articles for publications, conferences and networking to a larger extent

determines if an aspirant will secure a professorship position. Despite the overwhelming benefits of

academic networking, most academicians are still oblivious of these great benefits.

Over the past years, commercial sector has witnessed a tremendous improvement in organising

events to promote networking. However, in academia most individuals have shown minimal interest

to this very pertinent aspect of life. The point is that being connected and carrying out research in a

15



But a major concern is that some individuals are of the opinion that networking and building

relationships appears too crafty and intrusive into other people's affairs. But this is a misguided

opinion and to a large extent, holds no water. Honestly, networking and collaboration with others

both locally and internationally is highly invaluable for any student who aims to broaden his or her

career.

If you want the world outside to learn more about you, your skills and area of professionalism, then

there is great need to sharpen your networking skills so as to widen career opportunities. This

supports Yu et., al. (2010) statement that networking amongst academicians is a great avenue for

obtaining information, sharing knowledge, rendering support and becoming socially acceptable;

which in return, leads to higher level of performance proficiency, self-esteem and actualisation.

Getting acquainted with fellow academicians especially the leading ones, can be quite intimidating.

Some researchers and lecturers are already used to working independently and just the idea of

working mutually or going public does not sound appealing at all to them. They strongly believe in

themselves that they can achieve it all, all on their own.

Since this article is targeted at encouraging academicians to network with each other, the way-

forward is rooted in Sir Isaac Newton's (1675), statement: "If I have seen further, it is by standing

on the shoulders of giants". To this effect, academicians ought to endeavour to stand on the

shoulders of giants so as to see further. Mentors, lecturers, supervisors, director of studies and

examiners are already giants for a great start to see further. They are already experts, experienced

and in a better position to help boost research student‟s career; thus the need to establish and

maintain a healthy relationship with them.

Academic networking spans beyond face to face communication and presently, social media has

shown an immense advancement in the manner people associate with one another. According to

McLoughlin and Lee (2008), social software tools have created an enhanced platform for learners

to deeply relate and engage with their peers, colleagues, instructors, experts and the community at

large. Through these social platforms, people can create, share and grow knowledge either through

photos, emails, messages, publications and online bookmarks. Although these media of

information exchange encourage personal expression of views, it also boosts social propagation of

active support, assistance and cooperation by allowing comments, reviews and discussions by

members of like-minded community members sharing resources.

With the availability of online social networking, several digital platforms have been allocated

specifically to academia for scholarly practices (Jordan 2014). Academic social network sites such

as ResearchGate, Academia.edu, About.me, Scribd and reference sharing sites such as

Bibsonomy, Zotero, Mendeley, CiteULike and ISSUU allow scholars to upload their works in a

graceful format for online viewing and publication of their research works. With millions of users

across the globe, these significant platforms promote scholarly communication, networking,

academic information sharing and connection with one another. Thus, it is highly imperative to

recognize the part these social platforms play and the advancement they can present to the field of

academic careers. This supports Dawson‟s (2008), opinion that an individual's position in the social

network climate is symbolic of their level of adaptability within the academic atmosphere which

determines the level of support needed by such individual for future academic career

advancement.


For academic networking to be effective, scholars must be willing to adopt the give and take

philosophy, precept of reciprocity, ample time for relationship building, realizable goals,

synergistic mindset, skills improvement, involvement in academic activities, involvement in

publications and attendance at conferences. Through these avenues, the contacts built while

networking can help connect individuals to the right person that will move them forward and

give them the right direction for a brighter future.

REFERENCES

Dawson S. (2008), A Study Of The Relationship Between Student Social Networks And

Sense Of Community, Educational Technology & Society, International Forum of Educational

Technology & Society (IFETS), issue 11, vol. 3, p.236.

Goza F. and Ryabov I. (2009), Adolescents Educational Outcomes: Racial and Ethnic

Variations in Peer Network Importance, Journal of Youth Adolescence, issue 38, pp. 1264-

1265, 1276.

Jordan K. (2014), Online social networks and networked academic identity. In: Internet

Research 15.0 Doctoral Colloquium Daegu, South Korea, p.19.

McLoughlin C. and Lee M. J. W. (2008), The Three P‟s of Pedagogy for the Networked

Society:

Personalization, Participation, and Productivity, International Journal of Teaching and

Learning in Higher Education, Vol. 20, No. 1, p. 17.

Newton I. (1675), Wikiquote, Accessed online; {http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton},

Date {14/12/2014}.

Siemens G. (2005), Connectivism: A learning theory for a digital age, International Journal of

Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, issue 2, vol. 1, Accessed online;

{http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm}, Date {14/12/2014}.

Stenken J. A. and Zajicek A. M. (2009), The Importance Of Asking, Mentoring And Building

Networks For Academic Career Success - A Personal And Social Science Perspective,

p.542.

Yu A. Y., Tian S. W., Vogel D. and Chi-Wai Kwok R. (2010), Can Learning Be Virtually

Boosted? An Investigation Of Online Social Networking Impacts, Computers and Education,

55 (4), pp. 1494-1503.

17


FROM THE SILENCE OF A LIBRARY TO THE DAZZLING PRACTITIONER

Muneeb Iqbal, 2ndYr PhD Student at LSC / Cardiff Metropolitan

[email protected]

I am Muneeb Iqbal, a PhD researcher. However I

also practice as an Information Technology &

Business Intelligence consultant. My interest is in

learning to create knowledge, as in doing a PhD,

and applying it effectively to improve practice.

What has interested me is the transition I have

been able to make from learning about creating

theoretical knowledge, as in my prior educational

experience as well as the current PhD research I

am conducting, to applying it to practice. In this

article, I will share with you my views, intellective

experiences, few tips and some famous quotes

on the journey of becoming a practitioner through

academics.

To be successful in practice it is important to be

logical, apply common sense sensibly and

implement the learnt knowledge in the right

context at the right time. Conducting research

under a regulated and rigorous framework such

as a PhD programme provides a very suitable

platform. It enables acquisition of practical skills

to implement ideas logically, with peer-

practitioner approval, in a collaborative manner.

As Huxley pertinently remarked:

Science is nothing but trained and organised common sense. (ThomasHenry Huxley, 1894 –

Effective articulation of ideas, concepts and

knowledge is extremely vital in research, which

strengthens one‟s practice, as well making one

prominent in the field of expertise. However, to

be an accomplished practitioner, it requires

devotion, commitment, effective practice, as well

as training. Perhaps, a best approach is to read a

few books on scientific writing, practice it and,

more importantly, intense dedication involving

deep reflection. This, then, becomes second

nature and before we notice we will be a highly

effective articulator and a prominent practitioner.

However, being effective requires good

communication skills. As noted by Darwin:

A naturalist’s life would be a happy one if he had only to observe and never to write. (Charles Darwin, 1809 – 1892)

Research is an experience that shapes our

thoughts, equips us with skills to articulate

logically and explicitly, train our minds to

comprehend the natural phenomena of our

interests and imbues us with knowledge in our

domain. As researchers we read and read until

infoxicated (information overload) and, reflect and

reflect until our minds achieve satisfactory

explanation of what is being read.

The excerpts of this information, either explicit or

implicit from this exercise (conducted consciously

or sub-consciously) are transferred from the

short-term memory to the long-term memory, a

sub-process in the cognitive information

processing paradigm. And then we read and read

again, to repeat this pleasantly vicious cycle,

resulting in the banking of knowledge.

As famously said by Skinner:Education is what survives when what has been learnt has been forgotten. (BF Skinner)

When the knowledge bank exceeds what is

required to achieve personal satisfaction, it starts

flowing outwards making you a source of

information for others. At this point you are at the

verge of becoming a credible consultant in your

area of expertise. Then it‟s time to push a little

more, stretch the hours, controlled trigger the

obsession to acquire more knowledge and

practice to focus.


The divine does not present success in a plate with red rose petals, but it gifts us the ability to

practice. It is the practice that makes us perfect, a pathway leading to success. Failures and

setbacks are part of the game, these are the sceptics that in essence stimulates us not to fail the

next time. As experienced by Townes:

Most of my successes have come out of failures. (Charles Townes – physicist and Nobel laurete

who co-developed the laser, 1995).

Finally, it can be said that when you enter in the world of practice through the silence of a library

training your minds to be able to read, reflect, comprehend and effectively & influentially articulate

you can lead using a very unique leadership style; lead by knowledge. Finally, beautifully stated by

Rumi, to keep our continuous progression full of inspiration:

If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished? (Rumi, 1207 – 1273)

Acknowledgements:A sincere gratitude to Dr. Nandish V. Patel who encouraged me to write the piece, and gave me this opportunity to share my thoughts via LSC Researchers Quarterly, and reviewed this article. A special thanks to my Supervisor Dr. Wilson Ozuem and Director of StudiesDr. Anabel Gutiérrez for the tremendous academic supervision.


Why you should consider publishing on your research journey towards your doctorate?

Professor Eleri Jones, Link Tutor and Chair of PhD Confirmation Panel, Cardiff Metropolitan University

A doctoral degree is at level eight in the Quality Assurance Agency’s Frameworkfor Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) (QAA, 2011), which among otherthings describes a doctoral qualification as:

the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, through original research orother advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend theforefront of the discipline, and merit publication.(QAA, 2011; 14)

In your viva voce examination the examiners will be looking for evidence thatyour work is authentic, original and of an appropriate standard. Publishing yourwork is helpful in this context although, in terms of getting your PhD, actualpublications are not essential. Your first priority during your candidature must beto complete your thesis and submit it for viva voce examination. However thereare a number of benefits that accrue from publishing your work, particularly inpeer-reviewed journals, although presenting a conference paper and writing abook chapter are also valuable exercises.

Publishing a conference paperA useful first step into the world of publishing can be presentation of your workat an appropriate conference. Conferences are often announced on the Internetand your supervisor may make suggestions about particularly suitableconferences for you to consider presenting at. Conferences are greatopportunities for networking, to meet other researchers with similar interestsand to hear the great and good in your discipline area. Keynote speakers arelikely to be the leading lights in your discipline area. The comments you get afteryour presentation will help you to improve the quality and focus of your work.Some conferences specifically have a doctoral workshop led by moreexperienced academics and can provide excellent advice for the evolution ofyour research project.


Publishing in peer-reviewed journalsPlease do not underany illusions about how difficult it isto be accepted by a topjournal in any field or how protractedthe process can be – it can take months oreven years although (some) journal editors are trying to speed up the responsetimes. However, the benefit you will undoubtedly gain from the experience iswell worth the effort you will invest. A list of the top business and managementjournals is included in the Association of Business Schools Journal list,which canbe accessed online and your supervisors should be able to advise you. They maybe aware of a special issue of a journal into which your contribution would fit.

Please remember that publishing in top journals is extremely competitive andonly a small proportion of papers submitted actually get published. Arequirement that you make (sometimes considerable) changes to your paper oreven outright rejection of your manuscript is much more likely in reality than anacceptance but you should not let this put you off trying as although you will bedisappointed if (more likely when) it happens the feedback from an editor orpeer reviewers (normally two who may react quite differently to your work!) inrequiring amendments or rejecting your contribution can be invaluable in termsof the development of your thesis. There is (unfortunately) no gain without pain!

Good luck in your endeavours – it does not have to be a solo effort and you maychoose to co-author with your DoS, your supervisor or indeed other researchersbeyond your supervisory team. Co-authors have to earn their place on thepublication but anyone who has made an input should be recognized. There areconventions for author order but if the paper is primarily or exclusively based onyour work then you should be the lead author.


Demographic Change and the Tourism Workforce: Time-bomb or Opportunity?

Tom BaumUniversity of Strathclyde, UK.

The Tourism Policy Research Group (TPRG)

Abstract: This discussion will address three coalescing themes:

· Age-related demographic change;· Mobilities-induced demographic change; and· Generational change.

The tourism industry, in the UK and other developed economies, has built brandand cultural cache through its emphasis on a workforce that is young anddynamic – ‘a young person’s industry’ is frequently-cited as a descriptor for thesector although the across-the-board reality suggests a rather more evenlydistributed age demographic. Given current and projected structural changes tothe workforce, it is debatable whether this representation retains meaning in thecontemporary world and, certainly, going forward will require modification. Atthe same time, mobility and migration on an unprecedented global scale havealso changed the complexion of the tourism industry’s workforce in even themost remote locations of Europe. How does this play out in terms of destinationimage and branding, for example? Finally, workplace expectations are shiftingdramatically, driven in part (but not exclusively) by generational change.

Tourism Policy Research Group Public SeminarDepartment of Marketing, Branding and Tourism


These trends are the harbingers of a ‘perfect storm’ in tourism employment that receives little or no acknowledgement from stakeholders at either a strategic or operational level. This discussion will assess their implications and propose measures that the tourism industry, its associations, educational providers and the public sector can consider in response.

Short Bio:Tom Baum is Professor of International Tourism and Hospitality Managementand Head of the Department of Human Resource Management in theUniversity of Strathclyde in Glasgow. He holds BA and MA degrees in Educationfrom the University of Wales and a PhD in tourism labour market studies fromthe University of Strathclyde. Tom has worked in tourism education and trainingfor over 30 years, as a research manager within the public sector, an educatorin the university sector and as consultant to public and privately fundedprojects in over 40 countries across five continents. He has publishedextensively in this area and the wider context of people and work withinhospitality and tourism. Tom’s research has a strong focus on the education andhuman resource themes in the sector within the context of developing andtransition economies.

The seminar series are free and offer a unique opportunity to meet colleagues,share experiences and ideas, and network on various themes affecting tourismresearch and practice within and outside the UK.

To book contact Gulizar Karaca ([email protected]), ProgrammeAdministrator Department of Marketing, Branding and Tourism.

23












CARDIFF METROPOLITAN THESES

You can access theses from schools pf Cardiff Metropolitan University. The PhD theses are held in the institutional repository, DSpace. These are available for anyone to access without needing to sign in. If you select Communities & Collections from the left hand menu and scroll down, you’ll see the PhD theses collection. Alternatively, each school has a Research Degrees collection which holds their own theses.

Bethan

Library and Information Services Cardiff Metropolitan UniversityE: [email protected]: http://repository.cardiffmet.ac.uk


https://repository.cardiffmet.ac.uk/dspace/


http://repository.cardiffmet.ac.uk/

PHD Support and Networking Web Sites

Vitae is dedicated to realising the potential of

researchers through transforming their

professional and career development.

The Researcher Development Initiative supports

the training and development of researchers in

the social sciences at all stages of their career.

Jorum is a Jisc funded Service for UK Further

and Higher Education, to collect and share Open

Educational Resources (OER), allowing their

reuse and repurposing.

Research Councils UK (RCUK) are responsible

for investing public money in research in the UK

to advance knowledge and generate new ideas

which lead to a productive economy, healthy

society and contribute to a sustainable world.

The Research Information Network is a policy

unit funded by the UK higher education funding

councils, the seven research councils and the

three national libraries.

For more information please visit the information desk, email [email protected] or call 0207 763



Your PhD will test you!

You can apply for ethical approval to collect your research data whenever you are ready.

You do not need to have your RDP approved. Complete and submit the ethical approval

form.

Ethical approval


Vol. 2, Issue 1 | April 2014

ResearchersQuarterly

Research

Centre

LSC Research Centre

Pocock House Campus

235 Southwark Bridge Road

London SE1 6NP28LSC Researchers Quarterly 4 (1)

April 2015

Documents

LSC Researchers Quarterly 3 (1) April 2015