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The purpose of this paper is to present a preliminary psychometric evaluation of the electronic mobile shower commode assessment tool (eMAST) 1.0.

A cross-sectional validation study was undertaken with 32 adults with spinal cord injury (SCI), aged 18 years or older, who use mobile shower commodes for toileting and/or showering. The eMAST 1.0, Quebec user evaluation of satisfaction with assistive technology, Version 2.0 (QUEST 2.0), and modified system usability scale (SUS) were administered online via SurveyMonkey. The eMAST 1.0 was re-administered approximately seven days later. Psychometric properties of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity were assessed.

As hypothesised, the eMAST 1.0 demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.73, N=32); acceptable test-retest reliability (intra-class coefficient (3, 1)=0.75 (0.53-0.88, 95 per cent confidence interval) (n=27)); and strong, positive correlations with the QUEST 2.0’s devices subscale and modified SUS (Pearson’s correlation coefficients 0.70 and 0.63, respectively).

The sample was not fully representative of Australian data in terms of gender, or state of residence, but was representative in terms of SCI level. Age data were not assessed. The sample size was small but adequate for a preliminary psychometric evaluation.

The preliminary psychometric evaluation indicates the eMAST 1.0 is a valid and reliable instrument that measures usability of MSCs for adults with SCI. It may be useful for exploring relationships between usability and satisfaction of MSCs.

This paper aims to investigate the prediction of current and evolutionary perceptions of professional development through five learning strategies at work and through training and how individual and job characteristics predict those strategies.

Variables were measured in a cross-sectional survey, with 962 individuals. Relationships were tested through linear regression analysis and structural equation modeling.

The criterion variable current professional development is positively associated to three learning strategies: intrinsic and extrinsic reflection, seeking help from others and trial and error. The relationship between this latter learning strategy and that criterion variable is moderated by work experience. Hours of training also predict that criterion variable. Seeking help from others and educational level predict perceived evolutionary development. Socio-cultural and technical-organizational work environment variables predict those five strategies.

The cross-sectional research design yields potential for monomethod bias. Longitudinal, multilevel and multiple collection design studies should be conducted in the future.

A wide range of occupations and organizational contexts was investigated by using two different measures of professional development as criterion variables. A larger effect size was found for one of them, given just three learning strategies as antecedent variables. Training and formal education had smaller effects. The importance of taking into account different characteristics of workplace learning environments is highlighted.

This chapter evaluates the effectiveness of states' research and development (R&D, used to represent creditable research expenses) tax credits. Prior studies report mixed results on the effect of state R&D tax credit incentives. Generally, such studies consider the influence of state R&D tax credits by applying the statutory income tax and R&D credit tax rates. We reexamine the effect of a state's entire tax burden instead of the statutory tax rates in moderating the effectiveness of a state's R&D tax credit incentives. After controlling for several nontax factors, such as the workplace environment, political environment, and workforce education levels in a regression analysis during the 2010–2013 period in 50 states, we find that statewide private-sector R&D spending is a positive function of the R&D tax credit and this effect increases with the overall level of the state tax burden. We attribute this finding to the fact that high tax burdens increase the present value of the R&D tax credits.

This paper aims to understand in-depth the concepts applied to the domains of organizational learning (OL) and learning organization, based on the notional perspectives of Professor Deborah Blackman and traces the evolutionary path of her academic journey and contributions in this regard.

A conversation with the distinguished academician, Professor Deborah Blackman.

How OL has pivoted around “shared mental models” that will enable in collective evidence-based decision-making across the organizational hierarchy.

The interactive session with Professor Deborah Blackman captured her ideas and critique pertaining to the theme of OL and the crucial aspect of “shared mental models” which promote “learning” in an organization. Delving deeper, it is seen that this trajectory offers the space and orientation to researchers and professionals to verify.

Quality of care in the residential aged sector has changed over the past decade. The purpose of this paper is to examine these changes from the perspectives of staff to identify factors influencing quality of residential aged care, and the role and influence of an aged care accreditation programme.

Focus groups were held with 66 aged care staff from 11 Australian aged care facilities. Data from semi-structured interviews were analysed to capture categories representing participant views.

Participants reported two factors stimulating change: developments in the aged care regulatory and policy framework, and rising consumer expectations. Four corresponding effects on service quality were identified: increasing complexity of resident care, renewed built environments of aged care facilities, growing focus on resident-centred care and the influence of accreditation on resident quality of life. The accreditation programme was viewed as maintaining minimum standards of quality throughout regulatory and social change, yet was considered to lack capacity of itself to explicitly promote or improve resident quality of life.

For an increasingly complex aged care population, regulatory and societal change has led to a shift in service provision from institutional care models to one that is becoming more responsive to consumer expectations. The capacity of long-established and relatively static accreditation standards to better accommodate changing consumer needs comes into question.

This is the first study to examine the relationship between accreditation and residential aged care service quality from the perspectives of staff, and offers a nuanced view of “quality” in this setting.

This paper aims to explore how informal and socially situated learning and gendered practices impact the experiences of women learning to lead and the gendered dynamics inherent in women’s lived experiences of learning.

The authors adopt a becoming ontology and a social constructionist perspective. A qualitative approach guided by feminist principles facilitated the surfacing of rich and reflective accounts from women leaders. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 women leader priests in Canada.

The authors highlight how gendered practices are concealed and revealed through informal learning processes and illustrate this through two themes, informal and socially situated learning as inductive and gendered, and the jolt of gender discrimination in informal learning.

While each account from the women church leaders is highly valued in its own right and the women’s stories have generated new insights, the overall data set is small and not generalizable. Future research should explore further the types of informal learning initiatives and systems, which acknowledge and best support women learning to lead in (gendered) organizations. It should also explore how informal learning informs leadership styles in this and other contexts.

The research demonstrates how informal learning experiences can serve as a site for invisible and unaccounted for gender bias and inform the becoming of women leaders. The research also advances the limited body of work that seeks to better understand the gender dynamics of women’s leadership in faith-based organizations.