Working With Grandparent-Headed Families in Schools: School Professionals' Perspectives

This qualitative study explores the experiences of school professionals working with grandparent-headed families. Twenty individual interviews with an array of professional school staff were conducted. Thematic analysis was utilized, and 3 key themes emerged: (a) compassion for grandparent-headed families' unique challenges; (b) lack of adequate knowledge about grandparent-headed families; and (c) strategies for engaging grandparents raising their grandchildren. Implications address the importance of understanding the unique needs of grandparent-headed families and ways to maximize the success of these marginalized families through active family engagement and school-linked services.     

An examination of the relationship between destination image and marathon participants’ behaviours

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the destination image and behaviours of marathon participants with different levels of behavioural running involvement. This study focused on the Kyoto Marathon in Japan. The survey was conducted on marathon participants. The data of marathon participants was obtained through the Kyoto Marathon 2017 runner survey website. The participants were classified into two groups by cluster analysis – those with high running involvement and those with low running involvement using their experience of marathon events and running history variables. A comprehensive destination image scale was used to assess the practical implications of a sport event. MANOVA and ANOVA were used to test the influence of running involvement on a marathon participant’s destination image perceptions, place attachment, satisfaction and behavioural intentions. These results do not support the role of sport involvement in terms of the key-dependent variables of the study, namely place identity and dependence, intentions to participate in the event again and destination image perceptions. However, the influence of destination image factors and event satisfaction were still evident in their ability to predict sport event tourist intentions to revisit a sport event that is held in the same destination every year.     

Seeing and hearing: examining production workers' literacy and numeracy practices in a context of crisis

A policy consensus has emerged in Australia that there is a workforce literacy and numeracy crisis, similar to many other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. The study informing this paper examined this framing of crisis by interviewing and observing production workers in three manufacturing companies. Each company was implementing new lean production methods, known as ‘competitive systems and practices', based on a visual workplace management system. In this paper, we look at what is visible and invisible in production workers' literacy and numeracy practices at Hearing Solutions, one of the companies in the study. We begin by considering the overarching policy discourse around workers' literacy and numeracy before exploring the underpinning rationale of the new expression of lean manufacturing, in particular, its implementation through the Visual Workplace Management System. Detailing an example of the literacies used in producing hearing aid shells, we discuss the under-valuing by workers and managers of the skills being used; and the hidden process of industrial relations, reward and remuneration. Using an ethnographic and social practices approach, what emerges is a better understanding of the complex range of vocational knowledge and social skills being used that go unrecognised by policy makers, lobbyists and managers, and even by the workers themselves.     

The literacy and numeracy ‘crisis’ in Australian workplaces: discursive rhetoric vs. production floor realities

The dominant discourse on adult literacy and numeracy in Australia sees the federal government, industry, workforce skills agencies and the media speaking with one voice on the ‘crisis’ involving workers’ low literacy and numeracy skills. Underpinning this discourse are the Australian results of the international Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALLS) which are used to model correlations between low literacy/numeracy levels and productivity. In turn, these correlations are deemed to have implications for the competitiveness of individual enterprises and the prosperity of the nation. In the ALLS, approximately half of manufacturing workers are found at the lowest two levels. Adopting an ethnographic perspective, and viewing literacy and numeracy as social practices, this paper investigates this ‘crisis’ from the situated perspectives of managers, trainers and workers in three manufacturing companies. Multiple observations of production work and semi-structured interviews with over 50 company personnel reveal a contradiction between the crisis discourse rhetoric on workplace literacy and numeracy and the realities of production work. Literacy and numeracy are found not to have a negative influence on production work in the three companies. This raises questions about the basis for the crisis discourse, and government policy and programmes that flow from it.     

Cross-cultural impressions of leaders’ faces: Consensus and predictive validity

Across cultures, people tend to show high agreement in their impressions of others. But do these impressions predict external outcomes? Here we tested the predictive validity of trait judgments of the faces of Japanese and American targets, as rated by Japanese and American perceivers. Participants rated the faces of Japanese and American Chief Executive Officers of major companies. These judgments showed high agreement within and across cultures. In addition, judgments of power-related traits predicted the company profits of American CEOs, whereas judgments of warmth-related traits did not. However, neither power nor warmth predicted the company profits of Japanese CEOs, implicating longstanding cultural differences in company organization and business practices in the US versus Japan. Together, these data show both cross-cultural agreement between perceivers and targets but also cross-cultural differences in the relevance or application of particular trait information based on facial judgments.     

A Theoretical Approach for the Olympic Legacy Study Focusing on Sustainable Sport Legacy

The management of the Olympic Games has changed significantly since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The introduction of commercialisation probably saved the Olympic Games from a fateful crisis. It brought financial stability and attracted cities to bid for the Games. On the other hand, the impact of hosting the Olympic Games increased as more stakeholders became involved in its management. In addition, the global community became concerned about environmental issues. Global organisations including the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were required to take actions towards sustainable development. In this context, the debate regarding the Olympic legacy became of interest among stakeholders and researchers. The IOC introduced indicators to measure impact and legacy, which is now referred to as Olympic Games Impact (OGI). However, there are some issues in the current OGI study. This paper aims to suggest a theoretical approach which would contribute to solve the issues by focusing on sustainable sport legacy as an example. The proposed theoretical approach is focusing on event objective and analysing the relationship between sport policy and sport legacy development concentrated on the process and opportunity rather than the outcome.     

Higher education in Japan

The present state of development of higher education is described and quantified. Notable characteristics of the system are (i) the predominance of private establishments, (ii) the variety of courses available, (iii) the wide social base from which students are drawn, (iv) the highly competitive nature of the entry procedures. The system faces many challenges including the linked problems of management and finance.