Thomas George, Jim Rogers and Amanda Roberts
Social impact bonds (SIBs) have become a favoured way to fund public services, including housing, prison and homelessness projects, in an era of austerity. In a growing critical…
Abstract
Purpose
Social impact bonds (SIBs) have become a favoured way to fund public services, including housing, prison and homelessness projects, in an era of austerity. In a growing critical literature on SIBs, a largely absent voice is that of the link worker. This paper aims to focus on the views of link workers in a SIB funded project which works with long-term entrenched rough sleepers in the East of England.
Design/methodology/approach
Interviews with link workers were conducted with a thematic analysis echoing many of the views expressed in the critical literature not only about the problems but also some of the advantages that SIBs offer to this type of project.
Findings
Three key themes were discomfort with the funding mechanism; flexible and innovative interventions that SIBs make possible; and problems with the outcome measures that trigger payments. This study concludes that if SIBs are to achieve their promise of providing funding which leads to effective solutions to deeply ingrained social problems, there needs to be more careful evaluation of their true benefits in comparison to publicly funded projects, adoption of more appropriate and project-specific outcome measures and a much clearer explanation and justification of the way in which SIB funding works.
Originality/value
Few studies have specifically explored the perceptions of front-line link workers in the homelessness sector. This study highlights not only the concerns but also the benefits associated with the use of SIB as a funding mechanism within the homelessness sector.
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The purpose of this paper is to present findings from a research project which investigated the approaches of different groups of assessors to the mental capacity assessments…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present findings from a research project which investigated the approaches of different groups of assessors to the mental capacity assessments which are required to be conducted as part of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS).
Design/methodology/approach
Four case study vignettes were given to participants. Three groups involved in the DOLS assessment process were interviewed by telephone about the factors that may influence their capacity assessments.
Findings
Most assessors did not refer to the required two-stage test of capacity or the “causative nexus” which requires that assessors must make clear that it is the identified “diagnostic” element which is leading to the inability to meet the “functional” requirements of the capacity test. The normative element of capacity assessments is acknowledged by a number of assessors who suggest that judging a person’s ability to “weigh” information, in particular, is a subjective and value-based exercise, which is given pseudo objectivity by the language of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). A number of elements of good practice were also identified.
Research limitations/implications
In this exploratory study, participant numbers were small (n=21), and the authors relied on self-report rather than actual observations of practice or audit of completed assessments.
Practical implications
The findings are of relevance to all of those working in health and social care who undertake assessments of mental capacity, and will be helpful to all of those tasked with designing and delivering training in relation to the MCA 2005. They also have relevance to policy makers in the UK who are involved with reforms to DOLS regulations, and to those in other countries which have legislation similar to the MCA.
Originality/value
Much existing literature exhorts further training around the MCA. The authors suggest that an equally important task is for practitioners to understand and be explicit about the normative elements of the process, and the place of ethics and values alongside the more cognitive and procedural aspects of capacity assessments.
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Jim Rogers, Thomas George and Amanda Roberts
Staff who work with vulnerable people with multiple needs are known to experience high levels of stress and burnout, as well as high levels of job satisfaction. This paper aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
Staff who work with vulnerable people with multiple needs are known to experience high levels of stress and burnout, as well as high levels of job satisfaction. This paper aims to explore the experiences of staff working in a project with individuals experiencing long-term homelessness in Lincolnshire.
Design/methodology/approach
An evaluation of a project working with individuals experiencing long-term homelessness included a focus group set up to explore the experiences and well-being of front line staff and managers. One-to-one interviews with staff were also held to provide more in-depth data about the experiences of individual staff members.
Findings
Six key themes were identified from the discussions with participants. Decision latitude and the ability to follow service users on person-centred journeys over long periods were positive aspects of the work which were highly valued and seemed to contribute to high levels of job satisfaction. Things which also made a positive contribution were elements of support provided by the employer and a number of personal coping strategies. Themes identified which had a negative impact on well-being related to high workloads and to the multiple and competing demands from service users and other agencies.
Originality/value
Few studies of any kind have explored the experiences and well-being of staff working in the frontline of homelessness services. This small-scale qualitative study provides a number of suggestions for further research with this population. Findings cannot be generalised but match those of other recent studies which suggest high levels of stress but little evidence of burnout, and that carefully developed workplace support mechanisms play a key role in maintaining commitment to the role and preventing burnout.
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Stefan E. Genchev, R. Glenn Richey and Colin B. Gabler
Suppliers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers alike are still considering reverse logistics (RL) to be the “necessary evil” in their day‐to‐day operations rather than an…
Abstract
Purpose
Suppliers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers alike are still considering reverse logistics (RL) to be the “necessary evil” in their day‐to‐day operations rather than an opportunity for future performance. At the same time, a well‐structured RL program can create a substantial value‐added and positively affect the bottom‐line. Based on in‐depth investigation of best‐in‐class RL programs implemented in practice, the purpose of this paper is to offer a grounded flow charting approach for assessing the state of program development and, potentially, identifying areas for improvement across different companies in various industries.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study utilizes rich qualitative research methodology based on the combination between a thorough review of existing literature and multiple field studies. The findings from existing research, semi‐structured interviews and observation at companies’ sites, and RL‐related documentation at those companies, provide the backbone for the development of the assessment tool.
Findings
Although substantial variations exist in the way companies are setting up their RL programs, some common processes prevail. Formalizing these processes and related activities becomes the differentiating factor in RL program development and implementation. In addition, providing structure to the RL effort helps companies to strategically control the related value‐added.
Originality/value
The paper introduces process formalization as a necessary condition for the development and implementation of RL programs. The grounded flow charting approach, based on a qualitative inquiry in real business situations, aims to bridge the gap between theoretical developments and practical guidance for best‐in‐class RL operations.
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Recent research at Harvard University has shown that the adjustment period required for new or redeployed managers can be as long as 15‐18 months. Businesses can significantly…
Abstract
Recent research at Harvard University has shown that the adjustment period required for new or redeployed managers can be as long as 15‐18 months. Businesses can significantly reduce this time by taking steps to help the transition of its new managers using “xcelerate” – a highly specialised approach to role transition management. This can also help to prevent potentially disastrous and costly failures. The advanced coaching and role transition management techniques in xcelerate have helped businesses to: benefit from managers' role placements at a much earlier stage than would normally be expected; retain high levels of performance when roles or the business structure change; achieve speed to market in competitive scenarios; drive through the succession plan and accelerate the progress of “high potentials”; manage the risk involved in assigning people to mission‐critical activities; avoid potentially disastrous or costly failures downstream; substantially increase managers' confidence and performance levels; and develop managers to take a more strategic approach.
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Paschal Preston and Jim Rogers
The goal of this paper is to explore how an approach upfronting the notion of crisis and related restructuring processes may yield certain strategic stakes and anchor points by…
Abstract
Purpose
The goal of this paper is to explore how an approach upfronting the notion of crisis and related restructuring processes may yield certain strategic stakes and anchor points by which to identify and measure the forms and extent of unfolding changes or innovations broadly understood. One key objective of this exploratory project is to undertake a comparative investigation of the major commonalities and differences between the specific forms, features and manifestations of “crisis” tendencies and counter‐tendencies in two sub‐sectors of mediated “content”: the music industry and the news media industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper engages with issues and concerns relating to these two particular sub‐sectors of the media and cultural industries and considers relevant concepts and indicators of crisis and recent developmental trends in these domains. It introduces the background setting and implications of “crisis” and introduces some distinctive concepts and other aspects of the approach of this exploratory study. It identifies key concepts in research literature surrounding deep economic crises akin to the current crisis and applies and advances initial conceptual frames further in light of manifest developmental trends and relevant indicators of crisis in the two sectors.
Findings
Drawing on recently completed research studies in the music and news media industries by the current authors, the paper highlights differences and specificities across the two media domains under study. This highlights the form, features and extent of some key changes and challenges unfolding in the media sector.
Originality/value
Its upfront engagement with the idea of “crisis” and related concepts of creative destruction, restructuring, multiple innovation and paradigm shifts makes this exploratory project distinctive, as does its efforts to conduct a comparative analysis of the relevant dimensions of “crisis” and restructuring based on the authors' primary research in two distinct sub‐sectors within the media “content” layers.
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This paper presents a case study concerning the recovery of a young woman's wellbeing after a personal crisis in the summer of 2019. The analytical approach used draws on a…
Abstract
This paper presents a case study concerning the recovery of a young woman's wellbeing after a personal crisis in the summer of 2019. The analytical approach used draws on a conceptual model where wellbeing is a balance point between an individual's resources and the challenges they face. Therefore, stable wellbeing is when individuals have the physical, psychological and social resources they need to meet the physical, psychological and or social challenges they face. When individuals have more challenges than resources, the balance dips, along with their wellbeing, and vice versa. After outlining the theoretical base of the model, this paper presents a highly subjective analysis of the challenges faced by and resources available to the young woman in the case study. The daughter of a pig man and a Horrobin, she had worked three jobs in order to purchase a house for her young family. Her plans were precipitously destroyed leading to a breakdown in her marriage. This paper considers her path to recuperation in the aftermath of the crisis with a reference to her notion that ‘security is everything.’
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Paschal Preston and Jim Rogers
Digital technological innovations are commonly perceived to be radically disrupting the power or role of corporate actors within the music industry and their established…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital technological innovations are commonly perceived to be radically disrupting the power or role of corporate actors within the music industry and their established industrial practices and interests. In particular, the internet is widely regarded as having produced a “crisis” for the music industry. While such assumptions reflect the predominance of technological deterministic thinking in relation to the music industry, this paper aims to draw upon historical insights from past research on radical technical innovation processes to inform this approach to examining some of the key innovations that have occurred in the music industry in the digital era.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper draws on a range of qualitative data obtained primarily from a recently completed Irish‐based music industry research project, primarily comprised of interviews conducted with key music industry informants and personnel.
Findings
Key findings indicate that ongoing legal innovations, combined with the widespread adoption of social networking sites and other online content platforms are (amongst other factors) serving to maintain and bolster the position of major music copyright owners.
Originality/value
In the context of the contemporary “knowledge economy”, the authors propose paying special attention to one specific area of policy innovation – that related to the intellectual property rights (IPRs) regime. In particular, they place emphasis on the copyright strand of IPRs in shaping the outcome of digital platforms for the promotion and dissemination of music. In doing this, they consider the evolution of a re‐configured music industry “structure” which re‐conceptualises the music artist as an “all‐encompassing bundle” of rights through which a diverse range of revenue streams are increasingly streamlined back to a small handful of major copyright owners.