Purpose -The purpose of this research is to focus on how students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds encounter online learning environments, and to assess the extent to which cultural factors impact on learners' engagement with online learning. Design/methodology/approach -The study explores how a culturally diverse cohort of students engage with the organisational, technological and pedagogical aspects of online learning depicted in Conole's ( 2004) "framework for e-learning". A total of 241 students in online learning programs in a large university in South Australia were surveyed, yielding a response rate of 65 percent. Findings -Analysis indicated that cultural differences do have an impact on participant satisfaction with organisational and technological issues, with local respondents indicating significantly more positive perceptions than international respondents. Significant also was a reported lack of peer engagement and intercultural communication.Research limitations/implications -First, the study was restricted to students in one large university in Australia, using one in-house online learning system, and studying business courses. Future research could replicate the study across a range of universities and across different countries, which would enhance generalisability. In addition, researchers can expand the model used in this study, testing other variables which impact on online learning. Practical implications -These differences in reported engagement with online learning reflect differences in students' experience of online courses as culturally inclusive, and have implications for the quality of online education. These reported experiences may be linked to the amount of communicative interaction among students. Originality/value -The paper examined the cultural aspects of student engagement with the organisational, technological and pedagogical components of online learning. Its findings suggest a direction to improve the quality of learning for all students by constructing a culturally inclusive online learning environment.
Workforce diversity has become an important issue in Australia. This study examined the extent to which human resource management practices were being used by organisations in Australia to manage workforce diversity. The study also assessed the perceived challenges and benefits of diversity in the workforce. The findings of this study indicated that overall, management of workforce diversity is only “mediocre”. In particular, inadequate diversity management practices were found in the areas of recruitment and selection and training and development. As migrant employees do not create any problems and are very compliant, the challenges that workforce diversity presents does not receive adequate attention by organisations in Australia. However, these organisations seek several benefits from their multicultural workforce. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Purpose
– This study aims to examine the effects of human resource management (HRM) practices on organisational commitment (OC) in the Middle Eastern context.
Design/methodology/approach
– Survey data were collected from 493 front-line employees across a variety of industries in Jordan. A structural equation modelling analysis was performed to delineate the relationship between HRM practices and OC.
Findings
– A test of the model was conducted using a path analytic approach hypothesising that HRM factors influence OC. The findings indicate that the causal model is consistent with the data and contributes to a fuller understanding of the association between HRM practices and OC.
Originality/value
– This is the first study that represents a little-researched area of recent times and even less so in Middle Eastern countries. The findings of the study offer new perspectives on how HRM practices have direct and indirect effects on employees’ OC and would assist in reshaping the HR policies in organisations located in the Middle Eastern regions.
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