Innovation Ecosystem Perspectives on Financial Services Innovation

The context of financial services has been characterised by changes in the regulatory, technological and societal landscape. Consumers are increasingly interested in mobile payments, crowdfunding and microfinance services, either for themselves or because collaborative consumption is viewed as a more sustainable. Retail branches are re-organised to further meet the expectations of customers, start-ups focusing on technology for financial services (i.e. Fintech) are ever growing and financial services companies reinforce their own innovation practices (e.g. creation of innovation labs or venture capital investment funds). The innovation ecosystem around financial services companies represents the many actors with whom they can co-create and co-produce innovative new services for their customers (or for themselves). The innovation process is no longer a closed internal effort but needs to include external actors from the innovation ecosystem. This topic is especially interesting in a small and open economy where the financial centre takes a prominent place in the economy. The research question is therefore “How does the innovation ecosystem influence the innovation process within financial services companies?”. The influence of the innovation ecosystem on the innovation process within financial service companies mainly comes from its social capital and value creation efforts. However learning to work and exchange in an innovation ecosystem is also expected to influence the innovation process in place. Realizing the potential of the innovation ecosystem requires sufficient capabilities to manage new information coming from the innovation ecosystem. The professional associations provide the necessary coordination among actors in the innovation ecosystem to co-create and appropriate value, while fostering co-evolution within the innovation ecosystem.

Teachers' perspectives on the implementation of expectations-based curricula /

This qualitative study examines teachers' experiences implementing new standardized curricula in Ontario schools. This new curricula contained several policy changes and an expectations based format which directed what knowledge and skills students were to demonstrate in each subject. This level of specificity of subject-content served to control teachers in relation to curricula; however, data suggested that at the same time, teachers had enormous flexibility in terms of pedagogy. Four secondary teachers who were implementing a Grade 10 course in the 2000-2001 school year participated in the study. The qualitative framework supported the researcher's emphasis on examining the participants' perspectives on the implementation of expectation-based curricula. Data collected included transcripts from interviews conducted with teacher participants and a representative of the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training, field notes, and a research journal. Many of the factors often cited in the literature as influencing implementation practices were found to have affected the participants' experiences of curriculum implementation: time, professional development, and teachers' beliefs, particularly concerning students. In addition, the format of the policy documents proved to both control and free teachers during the implementation process. Participants believed that the number of specific expectations did not provide them an opportunity to add content to the curriculum; at the same time, teachers also noted that the general format of the policy document allowed them to direct instruction to match students' needs and their own teaching preferences. Alignment between teachers' beliefs about education and their understanding of the new curriculum affected the ways in which many participants adapted during the implementation process.

Exploring Chinese-Canadians' perspectives on health : a quantitative study

Chinese have unique perspectives on health and illness, which is mostly umecognized by western medicine. Immigration may contribute to problems with health consultations, inconvenience, and dissatisfaction. As the largest visible minority in Canada, Chinese- Canadians' perspectives on health should be studied in order to help Chinese immigrants adapt to a new health-care and health-promotion system, and keep them healthy. A quantitative questionnaire was designed based on the findings from a pilot study and previous literature. A hundred participants were recruited from Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, and St. Catharines. Descriptive analysis and correlation analysis were used to investigate the structure of the variables. Findings indicated that most oftheir attitudes and corresponding practices to the different health aspects were positive. The relation between dietary practices and attitude was only found in small cities. Their attitudes were impacted by their length of stay in Canada. Their attitudes to regularly timed meals and psychological consultation were related to their acculturation level, as was the regularity of their practice of dental flossing. Their self-evaluated general health levels were also found to be affected by their medical history, education level, feeling to talk about • sexual health, and smoking, particularly in the male subjects of the study. In conclusion, they realized that each health aspect w~s important to their health. However, their practices did not bear a strong relation to their beliefs. Traditional thoughts about health reseeded with time. Acculturation level did not affect most of their attitudes or practices. Under pressure, the priority of the daily health practices decreased. Older persons, those with low incomes, lower education levels or families under stress need to pay more attention to their health level. In-depth future research was recommended.

Exploring School Principals’ Perspectives on Emotional Intelligence

Ontario school principals’ professional development currently includes leadership training that encompasses emotional intelligence. This study sought to augment the limited research in the Canadian educational context on school leaders’ understanding of emotional intelligence and its relevancy to their work. The study utilized semi-structured interviews with 6 Ontario school principals representing disparate school contexts based on socioeconomic levels, urban and rural settings, and degree of ethnic diversity. Additionally, the 4 male and 2 female participants are elementary and secondary school principals in different public school boards and represent a diverse range of age and experience. The study utilized a grounded theory approach to data analysis and identified by 5 main themes: Self-Awareness, Relationship, Support, Pressure, and Emotional Filtering and Compartmentalization. Recommendations are made to further explore the emotional support systems available to school leaders in Ontario schools.

Employer Perspectives on Secondary School Cooperative Education in a Southern Ontario City in Canada

Despite 2 Ontario Ministry of Education policy documents which mandate that regular program effectiveness surveys be completed in secondary school co-op programs, research was either not occurring or data were not being made available. A lack of co-op research also existed at the postsecondary level. The primary reason for this study was to determine the perspectives of current secondary school co-op employers in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) and to identify any program strengths as well as any areas in which improvement can be made. A secondary aim of the study was to discover the reasons that some employers decline to participate in the co-op program, and why other employers decide to discontinue their co-op partnerships. An online survey was utilized with 2 Likert scales and open-ended questions to solicit responses from the 100 participants. The findings from this study strongly supported previous secondary and postsecondary co-op research. Overall, the HWDSB co-op program was found to be very strong, and employer satisfaction very high. There were, however, areas in which improvement could be made. Although most employers felt supported by institutions and felt that expectations were clearly communicated and were reasonable, there was evidence that many employers perceived a lack of institutional support which included factors such as communication, student placement and fit, and institutional responsiveness. In addition, some employers felt that students were underprepared for the workplace and lacked basic employability skills such as dependability and responsibility.

Male and Female Perspectives on Female Principals in South Africa

In South Africa, women are at a high risk of discrimination and opposition to authority when they obtain leadership positions, especially in education (Gouws & Kotze, 2007). The purpose of this study was to inquire into 10 secondary school educators’ perceptions of female principals’ effectiveness in two South African schools. Qualitative case study research methodology included interviews, as well as participant observations and semi-structured interviews. These interviews were conducted within two school settings in South Africa. The participants were teachers, department heads, and deputy principals. When the data were analyzed, it was found that all participants wanted a leader who was transformational and there was a strong preference for those who had feminine traits. This research showed the strong desire for transformational leaders as well as how feminine characteristics are not only starting to become more accepted, but also are now becoming preferred.

Two School Administrators’ Perspectives on How Intercultural Education is Promoted in Their Elementary Schools

This study examined the perspectives of 2 elementary school administrators (1 principal of a faith based school, and 1 vice-principal of a public school) towards intercultural education and how it was implemented in their schools. A generic qualitative research methodology guided this study. Face-to-face interviews that used a guide with open-ended questions were used to collect data. Participants were administrators in their respective schools, had been involved in intercultural activities at their school, and were professional acquaintances of the researcher. The interviews were digitally recorded and the interview transcripts were reviewed by participants to ensure accuracy. The administrators’ understanding of intercultural education tended to be limited to learning and celebration of various cultures. The intercultural education strategies used in the respective schools focussed on developing a knowledge base and provided limited intercultural interaction. The public school had greater resources available than the private faith-based school. However, the resources were not always used to facilitate intercultural education. Teachers and administrators were provided with very few professional development opportunities focussed on intercultural education.

Ethical and legal perspectives on inherited cancer susceptibility

Il existe des interactions complexes entre les perceptions du public, les demandes et les attentes envers les professionnels de la santé par rapport au dépistage des gènes de susceptibilité au cancer et aux services médicaux offerts. Ce chapitre étudie les aspects éthiques et juridiques de ces interactions avec une emphase sur le consentement, la confidentialité, l’emploi, l’assurance et le dépistage chez les mineurs et les majeurs inaptes. Ce chapitre conclu sur la prise en compte d’enjeux entourant la propriété de l’information génétique et les brevets et propose des principes pouvant servir de base pour une responsabilité partagée quant à la participation des patients dans le développement de lignes directrices encadrant le dépistage des gènes de susceptibilité au cancer.

Moral Loopholes in the Global Economic Environment: Why Well-Intentioned Organizations Act in Harmful Ways

Thomas Pogge’s notion of moral loopholes serves to provide support for two claims: first, that the ethical code of the global economic order contains moral loopholes that allow participants in special social arrangements to reduce their obligations to those outside the social arrangement, which leads to morally objectionable actions for which no party feels responsible and that are also counterproductive to the overall objective of the economic system; and, second, that these moral loopholes are more likely to exist as our economic order becomes more global. Finally, it will be shown that attempts to rectify the situation with voluntary corporate codes of conduct are inadequate. The argument proceeds through analysis of one case study, concerning action by the executive of the Cerrejón mining operation at La Guajira Penisular, Colombia.

Moral Loopholes in the Global Economic Environment: Why Well-Intentioned Organizations Act in Harmful Ways

Thomas Pogge’s notion of moral loopholes serves to provide support for two claims: first, that the ethical code of the global economic order contains moral loopholes that allow participants in special social arrangements to reduce their obligations to those outside the social arrangement, which leads to morally objectionable actions for which no party feels responsible and that are also counterproductive to the overall objective of the economic system; and, second, that these moral loopholes are more likely to exist as our economic order becomes more global. Finally, it will be shown that attempts to rectify the situation with voluntary corporate codes of conduct are inadequate. The argument proceeds through analysis of one case study, concerning action by the executive of the Cerrejón mining operation at La Guajira Penisular, Colombia.

Moral Loopholes in the Global Economic Environment: Why Well-Intentioned Organizations Act in Harmful Ways

Thomas Pogge’s notion of moral loopholes serves to provide support for two claims: first, that the ethical code of the global economic order contains moral loopholes that allow participants in special social arrangements to reduce their obligations to those outside the social arrangement, which leads to morally objectionable actions for which no party feels responsible and that are also counterproductive to the overall objective of the economic system; and, second, that these moral loopholes are more likely to exist as our economic order becomes more global. Finally, it will be shown that attempts to rectify the situation with voluntary corporate codes of conduct are inadequate. The argument proceeds through analysis of one case study, concerning action by the executive of the Cerrejón mining operation at La Guajira Penisular, Colombia.

Equality of Opportunity in Public Employment : Judicial Perspectives on Backwardness

This thesis is a study of -Equality of Opportunity in Public Employment : Judicial Perspectives on Backwardness. This study is an attempt to evaluate the concept of backwardness and equality of opportunity in employment and to assess the judicial perspectives in relation to them. The study reveals that the recent review petition of the Constitution Bench did not assess the decision of Chakradhar and its import. The study reveals that the Indian judiciary could successfully locate and apply the above principles. It was-Justice Subba Rao's nascent attempt in Devadasan which marked the starting point of such a jurisprudential enquiry. Later Thomas developed the thoughts by a reading new meaning and content to equality provisions of the Constitution which included the elimination of inequalities as the positive content of Articles 14 and 16(1) and elevated reservation provision to the same status of equality principles under the Constitution. Soshit, Vasanth Kumar and Mandal supplemented further to the jurisprudential contents. In this process, the courts were guided by the theories of John Rawls, David Miller, Ronald Dworkin, Max Weber and Roscoe Pound. Thus there was a slow and steady process of transformation of the reservation provision. From an anti-meritarian, unenforceable and enabling provision, it reached a stage of equally relevant and explanatory part of fundamental right to equality. Mandal viewed it as a part of sharing of State power. Though this can be seen by rereading and re-joining thoughts of judges in this regard, the judicial approach lacks coherence and concerted efforts in evolving a jurisprudential basis for protective discrimination. The deliberations of the framers of the Constitution reveals that there was much confusion and indeterminacy with regard to the concept of Backwardness. The study shows that the judiciary has been keeping intact the framers’ expectation of having a reasonable quantum of reservation, preventing the undeserved sections from enjoying the benefit, avoiding its abuse and evolving a new criteria and rejecting the old ones.

Beyond training : perspectives on language teacher education.

Trata sobre las creencias, teorías, conocimientos y prácticas de los profesores que imparten la enseñanza de una segunda lengua, y argumenta a favor de un enfoque más holístico en la formación del profesorado. A lo largo del libro se examinan una serie de cuestiones interconectadas que enfrentan a aquellos que están implicados en la formación continua de este profesorado ó en el diseño y evaluación de los programas. Ofrece muchas sugerencias prácticas sobre el tipo de actividades que pueden ser utilizados en éstos y analiza diferentes enfoques en la formación de los docentes.