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Housing is perhaps the most common component of a community’s manufactured capital wealth stocks damaged or destroyed by natural disasters. Consequently the restoration of housing in the recovery process takes on a paramount significance. This significance is magnified by the complexity of housing restoration and the varying and specialised skill sets required to deliver it. Such complexity is exemplified through both the different phases of post-disaster housing required following a disaster and the role of housing in the broader socio-ecological system of a community. Housing is inextricably linked to livelihoods, physical and mental health, security and social capital. Successful post-disaster restoration of housing must identify and embrace such linkages. This paper explores this notion through examination of the impact of the permanent housing reconstruction of the T. Vilufushi community, Maldives, following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, which completely destroyed the island of Vilufushi. The community were temporarily relocated for 4½ years whilst Vilufushi was totally reconstructed by the Government of Maldives and the British Red Cross. Such reconstruction was undertaken to cater for not only the original population of 1800, but also a projected population of 5000, as the Government of Maldives utilised the opportunity afforded by the Tsunami to pursue its longstanding population consolidation policy. The post-occupancy impact of the permanent housing reconstruction program upon the wider socio-ecological system of the Vilufushi community is explored via a qualitative research methodology utilising the four wealth capitals of sustainable development as its analytical framework. Field data collection methods comprised focus group discussions, key informant interviews and observations. This was supplemented with ongoing document collection and review. Data was analysed using a pattern match technique / content analysis, preceding a holistic recovery network analysis. Results of the research indicate that the delivery of the permanent housing on Vilufushi has undermined the human, natural and social capital wealth stocks of the community. The implications are that permanent housing reconstruction needs to be considered as much as a social process, as an engineering process. This in turn, has implications for the skillsets of those charged to deliver such projects, and also the organisations that employ them.

Presents an evaluation of a pioneering attempt to deliver a distributed learning Web‐enabled system developed and piloted at RMIT University. Data were gathered from: a survey of students undertaking three undergraduate courses and one postgraduate course at one academic department at RMIT; in‐depth focus group reviews; and lecturer summaries of their experience of using the DLS. One of these courses was offered to international students in Singapore as part of a mixed face‐to‐face and Web‐delivery format. Results indicate that the DLS is generally popular with students. Difficulties were encountered with IT technical support and this provided an unnecessary level of frustration, however, results were generally encouraging. Concludes that the DLS needs to be more effectively used to support a more engaging learning experience and that students need to take more responsibility for their learning.

INSUFFICIENT use is made of work study in industry. A more widespread application of work study depends on full recognition by management and on the efforts of properly trained work study engineers. Better facilities for training and a commonly accepted system of training leading to a recognised standard of competence are, therefore, essential.

NO document issued by the National Board for Prices and Incomes is of more importance to people engaged in work study than Report 83 on Job Evaluation. It lists nine definitions by various authorities but contents itself with a fairly simple one; the comparison of jobs by the use of formal and systematic procedures, set down on paper and adhered to as distinct from rule of thumb methods, with subsequent analysis determining the relative positions of jobs in a wage structure.

The purpose of this paper is to review the service quality dimensions established in various studies conducted across the world specifically applied to health care.

Studies conducted on quality of care selected from literature databases – Ebsco, Emerald Insight, ABI/Inform – was subjected to a comprehensive in-depth content analysis.

Service quality has been extensively studied with considerable efforts taken to develop survey instruments for measuring purposes. The number of dimensional structure varies across the studies. Self-administered questionnaire dominates in terms of mode of administration adopted in the studies, with respondents ranging from 18 to 85 years. Target sample size ranged from 84-2,000 respondents in self-administered questionnaires and for mail administration ranged from 300-2,600 respondents. Studies vary in terms of the scores used ranging from four to ten-point scale. A total of 27 of the studies have used EFA, 11 studies have used structural equation modelling and eight studies used gap scores. Cronbach ' s alpha is the most commonly used measure of scale reliability. There is variation in terms of measuring the content, criteria and construct validation among the studies.

The literature offers dimensions used in assessing patient perceived service quality. The review reveals diversity and a plethora of dimensions and methodology to develop the construct discussed.

The reported study describes and contrasts a large number of service-quality measurement constructs and highlights the usage of dimensions. The findings are valuable to academics in terms of dimensions and methodology used, approach for analysis; whereas findings are of value to practitioners in terms of the dimensions found in the research and to identify the gap in their setting.

The purpose of this paper is to describe and explain an evolving management strategy in state and local levels of government in the USA that contributes to better productivity through greater responsiveness, governance, increased market‐like competition and leveraging government resources.

The paper is based on reviews and analysis of published reports about Charter Schools.

This paper asserts that public private partnership (PPP) charter schools can be very conducive for the development and implementation of a public entrepreneurial strategy (PES) and contribute to local government productivity because: charter schools stretch resources utilization, leverage its ability to license as a mean for mobilizing new resources, improve service quality without expanding cost, reduce future financial obligations (i.e. pensions), diffuse accountability issues that have to do with elementary and secondary education – what the government needs to do in such eventuality is revoke or discontinue the license, induce market dynamics, i.e. consumer choice, effect continuing efforts to improve quality of all schools, become more responsive to demands of some elements of the purpose, describe and explain an evolving management strategy in polity without upsetting others, increase transparency, e.g. who is involved in the process of licensing and the rationale for the decision in each case, accommodate a higher level of community participation in governance, i.e. through opportunities to contribute to the developing of the licensing process, its implementation and the evaluation of its results.

A research limitation is that this approach is still evolving and no long‐term data or evaluations are available. An implication is that this is an evolving management strategy that is geared to address shortage of resources, quality issues in education, governance and the role of government.

This approach might be helpful to other state and local governments outside the USA.

The paper describes another way to become more responsive to the educational needs of subgroups.

Knowing more about the context and attributes of Charter Schools in the USA may help others to assess the possible relevancy of this approach for dealing with their own issues of public education.

The literature emphasises that integration of disaster risk reduction (DRR) into planning processes is a key to reduce natural disaster losses, boost socio‐economic development needs and ensure sustainability in development gains. But linking DRR to the infrastructure reconstruction sector has become a challenge in developing country settings. Therefore, the purpose of the main research, of which this paper is based on, is to explore how integration of DRR into infrastructure reconstruction should be done in such a way to contribute to socio‐economic development process. As a part of this main aim, this paper focuses on exploring the existing gap in the concept of DRR at the policy‐making level and the infrastructure reconstruction project level. Thus, the paper seeks to review the current policies on post‐disaster reconstruction and DRR at the national and intermediate‐organisational level in Sri Lanka and integration of DRR concept within these policies. Not limiting to the policies, DRR processes were assessed on their success through the level of implementation of DRR strategies at the post‐disaster infrastructure reconstruction projects.

The paper is based on the data collated from a case study conducted in a water supply and sanitation reconstruction project in Sri Lanka supported by expert interviews among national and intermediate‐organisational level policy makers those who are involved in the development of policies related to disaster management and construction activities.

The results highlight the lack of individual policies on reconstruction and DRR of reconstruction at the national and intermediate‐organisational level except certain sections within certain policies. It was found that integration of DRR within these policies is lower than the level of importance of such integration. Further, the level of implementation of these policies in practise is average as it is averted by required speed and quality of reconstruction, availability of finances for reconstruction, the scale of reconstruction projects, reliability and practicability of policies, legitimacy of policies and adequacy of authority delegated to the relevant bodies, the consistency of various policies, detail explanations on relationships with other policies, the level of awareness about policies by the relevant bodies, attitude of construction professionals and experience of reconstruction bodies in the field of disaster reconstruction.

The findings of this paper is not limited to one specific policy related to disaster management or construction in Sri Lanka. It represents an overall view of most of the existing policies in the field. Furthermore, the data collection was limited to the Sri Lanka context.

The findings of this paper will be useful to relevant policy makers to understand the areas needed further attention within the policies in terms of integration of DRR concept within them.

The paper is unique in its findings as it discovers overall gaps in the concept of DRR within the policies and actual infrastructure reconstruction project practises.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a health system‐wide safety improvement program (SIP) three to four years after initial implementation.

The study employs multi‐methods studies involving questionnaire surveys, focus groups, in‐depth interviews, observational work, ethnographic studies, documentary analysis and literature reviews with regard to the state of New South Wales, Australia, where 90,000 health professionals, under the auspices of the Health Department, provide healthcare to a seven‐million population. After enrolling many participants from various groups, the measurements included: numbers of staff trained and training quality; support for SIP; clinicians' reports of safety skills acquired, work practices changed and barriers to progress; RCAs undertaken; observation of functioning of teams; committees initiated and staff appointed to deal with adverse events; documentation and computer records of reports; and peak‐level responses to adverse events.

A cohort of 4 per cent of the state's health professionals has been trained and now applies safety skills and conducts RCAs. These and other senior professionals strongly support SIP, though many think further culture change is required if its benefits are to be more fully achieved and sustained. Improved information‐handling systems have been adopted. Systems for reporting adverse incidents and conducting RCAs have been instituted, which are co‐ordinated by NSW Health. When the appropriate structures, educational activities and systems are made available in the form of an SIP, measurable systems change might be introduced, as suggested by observations of the attitudes and behaviours of health practitioners and the increased reporting of, and action about, adverse events.

Few studies into health systems change employ wide‐ranging research methods and metrics. This study helps to fill this gap.

This paper aims to develop a framework for switching a service supplier in a supply network.

The study builds on existing literature in the field of purchasing and supply management, public procurement (PP) and the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing approach, as well as on an illustrative example case, from the PP context, of a supplier switch in a service delivery process.

During a switching process, the buyer must simultaneously manage the ending of a relationship with the incumbent supplier and the beginning of a relationship with a new supplier. Collaboration with the focal suppliers to develop a service process with standardized components prevents disruptions in the service processes and reduces the impact of the switch on the wider network.

The conceptualization suggested in this paper needs to be further explored in different empirical contexts to assess its practical adequacy.

Practitioners responsible for service procurement can use the findings to develop collaboration with suppliers, both when it comes to service process development and to the switching process. Furthermore, the authors highlight the importance of ending competencies and the development of an exit plan to conduct a “beautiful exit.”

The paper integrates relationship initiation and ending studies, as well as procurement process models to develop a refined switching process framework. Many PPs rely on short-term relationships due to the legal obligation to frequently invite suppliers to tender, thus understanding the supplier switching process is important both for private and public sector actors.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the first new hospital accreditation option in over 40 years, and the only accreditation scheme for US hospitals which is ISO‐based. It seeks to explore factors prompting design of a fundamentally new approach, patient and provider experiences thus far, outlook for adoption of this alternative, and potential for improving delivery of health services in US hospitals.

The approach takes the form of a review of available materials, industry and popular press accounts, federal documents; interviews with hospital executives and managers and with prime developers of the new accreditation process; access to personal prior industry research and experiences.

Frustrated by an established accreditation process seen as wasteful and ancillary to standard operations, administrators and clinicians developed a new approach designed to use accreditation as a strategic business tool to reinforce clinical and business process integration, efficiencies, innovation, accountability, and sustained improvement in day‐to‐day hospital operations. The accreditation process has been approved for hospitals providing care to US Medicare beneficiaries.

Pressures to reform the financing and delivery of health services in the USA – and to address concerns of escalating costs, decreased access, limited improvements in patient safety, poor care coordination, and an absence of accountability – intensify. The introduction of a novel hospital accreditation option into an arena long dominated by a single powerful accreditor provides opportunity for disruptive innovation. The rate of adoption of this new approach and its impact on existing challenges will be of interest to multiple stakeholders.