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Item Open Access The Pinocchio effect: a study on the agentic capacity of HE in FE programme leaders(University of Wolverhampton, 2026)This thesis explores the agentic capacities of Programme Leaders (PLs) working in Higher Education within Further Education (HE in FE) in England. Set within a policy and institutional landscape shaped by dual accountability, managerialism, and blurred professional expectations, the study develops a layered interpretation of PLs’ agency across constrained institutional contexts rather than tracing linear developmental trajectories. Framed through the metaphor of Pinocchio, it examines what it means for educators to ‘become real’, not through defiance, but through considered action, negotiation, and relational awareness in environments where the strings of control are often invisible yet tightly drawn. The literature review positions Emirbayer and Mische’s (1998) Chordal Triad of Agency (CTA) as the primary conceptual lens through which PLs’ actions are interpreted. Agency is conceptualised not as a fixed attribute but as a temporally embedded process comprising the Iterational (drawing from past experience), the Practical-Evaluative (exercising situated judgement), and the Projective (imagining possible futures) elements. These are examined alongside discussions of brokering (Shain and Gleeson, 1999), tactical compliance (Orr, 2011), and constrained professionalism (Feather, 2010; 2017), which illuminate the specific pressures shaping professional agency within HE in FE. Utilising narrative-oriented interviews within an interpretive design, the study employs the CTA as its principal analytical framework. Semi-structured interviews with six PLs working in a large urban Further Education College in the West Midlands explored their sense of purpose, constraint, and professional adaptation. Thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006) was used to identify patterned expressions of agency across accounts while retaining attention to the distinct institutional positioning of each participant. Findings identify three dominant expressions of agentic capacity: constrained agency shaped by ambiguity and compliance cultures; tactical adaptation, in which PLs sustain credibility and uphold professional values through strategic manoeuvring; and fuller expressions of agency enabled by trust, time, and structural alignment. Although all participants demonstrated professional intent, their agentic capacities were often fragile and contingent, with the Projective element emerging most clearly where relational support and institutional recognition were present. The study concludes that PLs are neither passive instruments of policy nor heroic resisters. Their movement toward more confidently enacted professional agency is gradual, relational, and contextually shaped. Recommendations include strengthening structural clarity within HE in FE, enhancing HEI–FEC collaboration, rethinking Initial Teacher Training to prepare educators for institutional complexity, and developing leadership practices attuned to the distinctive conditions of HE in FE.Item Open Access Sustainable development pressure and executive accountability: adoption of sustainability compensation incentives in tourism and hospitality(Wiley, 2026-08-06)This study examines when sustainability commitments become formal executive accountability arrangements through the adoption of sustainability compensation incentives (SCI) in the global tourism and hospitality (T&H) industry. The theoretical problem is not simply whether firms adopt another ESG practice, but why sustainability salience is sometimes formalised in executive pay and sometimes remains decoupled from remuneration. Drawing on institutional theory and managerial hegemony theory, the study develops a pressure–resistance account in which legitimacy demands favour formalisation, whereas managerial discretion and organisational constraints can impede it. Using 1406 firm‐year observations for 282 listed firms across 49 countries during 2018–2023, the analysis estimates two‐way fixed‐effects linear probability models. Contemporaneous ESG, environmental and social scores are positively associated with SCI adoption, but lagged ESG is not statistically significant in the preferred fixed‐effects specification. Compensation‐specific shareholder voting shows the largest association, although its institutional proximity to SCI requires cautious interpretation. Board independence is weakly positive, audit committee independence is insignificant, and leverage and firm size are negative. The evidence therefore identifies correlates of formalisation rather than causal effects or implementation quality.Item Open Access Digital platform archetypes as catalysts for circular economy innovation in technology industries(Elsevier, 2026-08-06)Digital platform technologies are reshaping traditional linear value chains and are increasingly positioned as primary facilitators of circular economy implementation in electronics manufacturing. This study investigates how leading manufacturers, including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and Dell, use digital platforms to support circular strategies through a comparative multi-case analysis of electronics platform archetypes. The analysis identifies two distinct digital platform archetypes. Premium integrated ecosystems, represented by Apple and Samsung, target higher-value consumer segments and emphasise component integration, lifecycle control, and tightly governed proprietary platforms. These models prioritise repair, refurbishment, and lifecycle extension within highly integrated product–service systems. In contrast, accessible ecosystem orchestrators, such as Xiaomi and Dell, promote broader participation across partners and users, focusing on asset management, service modularity, and affordability for price-sensitive consumers and business clients. The findings highlight how platform design influences circular outcomes, with governance structures, business models, and digital infrastructure needing alignment with market positioning and user needs. Overall, the paper contributes to research on digital platforms and circular business models by clarifying how platform archetypes shape pathways toward more circular electronics systems.Item Open Access The coproduction of knowledge: working together to tackle sustainability(RAISE Network, 2025-09-23)“The lesson for progressive education is that it requires in an urgent degree, a degree more pressing than was incumbent upon former innovators, a philosophy of education based on a philosophy of experience” (Dewey, 1938, p.10) This article evaluates the impact of coproducing a community project between a university lecturer, a group of social science students, and a Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisation in the local community, along with their service users. The project was part of a collaborative initiative between The British Academy and Students Organising for Sustainability (SoS) “which uses a ‘living laboratory’ model to demonstrate the importance of arts, humanities and social sciences in tackling sustainability challenges” (https://www.sos-uk.org/post/shape-sustainability-impact-projects-22-23). The students worked with Base 25, a local VCFSE organisations providing support services to disadvantaged young people and families in the Wolverhampton area (https://base25.org/), to identify a project that could support the Mental Health and Wellbeing of young people – one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Working co-productively with staff and young service users at Base 25 the students, supported by the lecturer, produced a ‘Recipe for Life’ website for the organisation, freely available for anyone to use and circulated to local schools. By engaging in a project that responded to a real need in their local community, working across disciplines and organisational boundaries, the students gained critical skills, values and competencies that move beyond a narrow understanding of ‘employability’ (Booth, 2023). Instead it provided an opportunity to nurture graduates better equipped to engage in “Wicked Problems” (Brown et al, 2010). In addition, by the University participating in a more community-centric approach to research and pedagogy, it was able to widen the impact of its practice and knowledge through the softening of boundaries between academic and “local” community knowledge.Item Open Access 9694 Do birth partners know enough to act? An evaluation of birth partners’ awareness, behaviours, and readiness to reduce infant mortality(BMJ Publishing Group, 2026-07-29)
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