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1. Unpacking the complexity of online incivility: an analysis of characteristics and impact of uncivil behavior during the Hong Kong protests

   https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-12-2023-1169  

   Li, Baiqi; Song, Yunya; Shi, Yongren; Chen, Hsuan-Ting (October 2024, Internet Research)

   PurposeThis study seeks to establish a new framework for categorizing incivility, differentiating between explicit and implicit forms, and to investigate their respective abilities to proliferate and mobilize conversations, along with behavioral outcomes in various social contexts. Design/methodology/approachEmploying computational techniques, this research analyzed 10,145 protest-related threads from the HK Golden Forum, a prominent online discussion board in Hong Kong. FindingsOur analysis revealed divergent effects of explicit and implicit incivility on their diffusion, influences on deliberative discussions, and user participation. Explicit incivility was found to impede deliberative conversations, while implicit incivility tended to provoke more responses. Explicit uncivil expressions encouraged the propagation of incivility but reduced the likelihood of individual involvement. In contrast, implicit incivility had a stronger dampening effect on further uncivil comments and achieved greater thread popularity. The results showed strong associations between uncivil expressions and the contextual norms surrounding social movements. Originality/valueTheoretically, this research introduced a classification of incivility and underscored the importance of differentiating between implicit and explicit incivility by examining their effects on deliberation and engagement. Although previous studies have extensively covered explicit incivility, this study goes further by analyzing implicit incivility and comparing both forms of uncivil discourse in a less-studied context. Methodologically, the study developed a Cantonese dictionary to differentiate between two types of incivility, providing a practical reference for more nuanced analyses. By revealing how varying movement norms moderate the interplay between deliberative and uncivil expressions, the study drew attention to the highly situational nature of incivility. 

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2. Fit for one or fit for all? The normative theory of fit and the normative and distinctive decomposition of fit

   https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-05-2023-0275  

   Lowman, Graham H; Harms, Peter D; Wood, Dustin (March 2024, Journal of Managerial Psychology)

   PurposeCentral to the fit concept is that congruence between individual and environmental attributes leads to improved outcomes. However, when discussing fit, researchers often describe congruence as alignment between distinctive or unique individual and environmental attributes. We suggest that current approaches to examining fit do not adequately account for this assumption of distinctiveness because they fail to consider normative expectations and preferences. As such, we propose an alternative theoretical and methodological approach to conceptualizing and measuring fit. Design/methodology/approachWe introduce the normative theory of fit, outline how researchers can decompose fit into distinctive and normative components and identify areas for future research. FindingsManagement researchers have largely ignored the importance of decomposing fit into distinctive and normative components. This shortcoming necessitates additional research to ensure a more accurate understanding of fit and its relationship with outcomes. Originality/valueWe provide a clarification and critical examination of a pervasive construct in the field of management by introducing the normative theory of fit, identifying areas where researchers can employ this theoretical lens and suggesting a reevaluation of the importance placed on differentiation that is traditionally employed in practice. 

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3. Learning designs that empower: navigating sandbox data science at the intersection of computing, big data and social media

   https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-12-2023-0211  

   Barany, Amanda; Scarola, Andi Danielle; Acquah, Alex; Reza, Sayed Mohsin; Johnson, Michael A; Walker, Justice (August 2024, Information and Learning Sciences)

   PurposeThere is a need for precollege learning designs that empower youth to be epistemic agents in contexts that intersect burgeoning areas of computing, big data and social media. The purpose of this study is to explore how “sandbox” or open-inquiry data science with social media supports learning. Design/methodology/approachThis paper offers vignettes from an illustrative youth study case that highlights the pedagogical prospects and obstacles tied to designing for open-ended inquiry with computational data science to access or “scrape” Twitter/X. The youth case showcases how social media can be taken up productively and in ways that facilitate epistemological agency, an approach where individuals actively shape understanding and knowledge-creation processes, highlighting the potentially transformative impact this approach might have in empowering learners to engage productively. FindingsThe authors identify three key affordances for learning that emerged from the illustrative case: (1) flexible opportunities for content-specific domain mastery, (2) situated inquiry that embodies next-generation science practices and (3) embedded computational skill development. The authors discuss these findings in relation to contemporary education needs to broaden participation in data science and computing. Originality/valueTo address challenges in current data science education associated with supporting sustained and productive engagement in computing-based data science, the authors leverage a “sandbox” approach – an original pedagogical framework to support open inquiry with precollege groups. The authors demonstrate how “big data” drawn from social media with high school-aged youth supports learning designs and outcomes by emphasizing learner interests and authentic practice. 

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4. Insights and implications from a sociotechnical case study approach in sustainability education

   https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-01-2024-0007  

   Koopman, Kristen; Mosyjowski, Erika A; Daly, Shanna R; Skerlos, Steven J; Syal, Sita M (April 2025, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education)

   PurposeThis study aims to investigate the use of a sociotechnical case study as a means of integrating social and technical dimensions into an undergraduate engineering sustainability technical elective course. Design/methodology/approachThe “Big Wind Project” case study used a microhistory approach to engage students in the complexities of sustainable engineering, aiming to facilitate their exploration of the sociotechnical nature of engineering sustainability projects. Focused on a controversial wind energy project in Hawaii, the Big Wind Project case study served as a pedagogical tool in the course for engaging engineering students in complex sustainability challenges. FindingsThirty-nine students who engaged in the case study lesson responded to questions about their perceptions of the case and the role of stakeholders and other social dimensions in engineering decision-making and agreed that we could use their responses in this research. While many students acknowledged the importance of accounting for social dimensions, their discussions frequently reflected a persistent tendency of engineering work to view outcomes through a dualistic technical-vs-social lens rather than an integrated sociotechnical lens. Originality/valueThis study examined how a case study reveals and supports students’ navigation of the complexities of sociotechnical engineering sustainability work. 

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5. Rational homotopy type of projectivization of the tangent bundle of certain spaces

   https://doi.org/10.1108/AJMS-02-2024-0029  

   Gastinzi, Jean Baptiste; Ndlovu, Meshach (August 2024, Arab Journal of Mathematical Sciences)

   PurposeThe paper aims to determine the rational homotopy type of the total space of projectivized bundles over complex projective spaces using Sullivan minimal models, providing insights into the algebraic structure of these spaces. Design/methodology/approachThe paper utilises techniques from Sullivan’s theory of minimal models to analyse the differential graded algebraic structure of projectivized bundles. It employs algebraic methods to compute the Sullivan minimal model of $P(E)$and establish relationships with the base space. FindingsThe paper determines the rational homotopy type of projectivized bundles over complex projective spaces. Of great interest is how the Chern classes of the fibre space and base space, play a critical role in determining the Sullivan model ofP(E). We also provide the homogeneous space ofP(E)whenn = 2. Finally, we prove the formality ofP(E)over a homogeneous space of equal rank. Research limitations/implicationsLimitations may include the complexity of computing minimal models for higher-dimensional bundles. Practical implicationsUnderstanding the rational homotopy type of projectivized bundles facilitates computations in algebraic topology and differential geometry, potentially aiding in applications such as topological data analysis and geometric modelling. Social implicationsWhile the direct social impact may be indirect, advancements in algebraic topology contribute to broader mathematical knowledge, which can underpin developments in science, engineering, and technology with societal benefits. Originality/valueThe paper’s originality lies in its application of Sullivan minimal models to determine the rational homotopy type of projectivized bundles over complex projective spaces, offering valuable insights into the algebraic structure of these spaces and their associated complex vector bundles. 

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