Abstract
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Barry Jones, Georgia Juett and Nathan Hill
Following on from an earlier published study, the purpose of this paper is to further clarify with a larger sample and over a longer timescale of two years the effect of a…
Abstract
Purpose
Following on from an earlier published study, the purpose of this paper is to further clarify with a larger sample and over a longer timescale of two years the effect of a therapeutic-community informed personality disorder service intervention upon psychiatric in-patient bed use. The service integrates two psychoanalytical models; a mentalization-based treatment (MBT) and a service user network (SUN) model.
Design/methodology/approach
The number of psychiatric bed days used by patients attending each arm of the service model (SUN and MBT) was collated using the electronic patient records system. Bed use in the six-12-18-and 24-month period before each patient started treatment was compared with bed use in the same periods after starting treatment.
Findings
There appeared no significant increase after intervention in the group of patients using no psychiatric beds prior to intervention. Bed use in the second group (those using beds prior to intervention) appeared significantly reduced by six months and the reduction continued to prove significant at 12 and 18 months post-intervention. In relation to the component arms of the service, a significant reduction in bed use was seen in each of the MBT and SUN interventions at six, 12, 18 and 24 months after commencement. However, due to the small sample sizes, these results lacked sufficient power to afford a meaningful comment upon the effect of component arms.
Research limitations/implications
Intervention by the TC informed two-model integrated personality disorder service had a statistically significant effect overall on reducing bed use, which was maintained at six and 12 months.
Practical implications
The paper supports the finding of the authors’ previous study; a therapeutic model of care that significantly reduces psychiatric bed use. That the reduction in psychiatric bed use continues to further appear highly significant at 18 months suggest that our service has an enduring effect upon inpatient psychiatric resources.
Originality/value
The paper describes a unique model of care currently successfully employed in the therapeutic management of people with personality disorder. The model is replicable and effective and offers some possibilities for the development of therapeutic-community informed practice.
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Michael R. Ford and Douglas M. Ihrke
The purpose of this paper is to determine the differing ways in which nonprofit charter and traditional public school board members define the concept of accountability in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine the differing ways in which nonprofit charter and traditional public school board members define the concept of accountability in the school or schools they oversee. The findings speak to the governing consequences of shifting oversight of public education from democratically elected bodies to unelected nonprofit governing boards.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use originally collected survey data from democratically elected school board members and nonprofit charter school board members in Minnesota to test for differences in how these two populations view accountability. Open-ended survey questions are coded according to a previously used accountability typology.
Findings
The authors find that charter school board members are more likely than traditional public school board members to define accountability through high stakes testing as opposed to staff professionalization and bureaucratic systems.
Originality/value
The results speak to the link between board governance structure and accountability in the public education sector, providing new understanding on the way in which non-elected charter school board members view their accountability function.
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Barry Jones, Georgia Juett and Nathan Hill
This study aims to describe the effectiveness of two arms of a personality disorder service: a modified mentalization based therapy (MBT) day programme and an open access…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to describe the effectiveness of two arms of a personality disorder service: a modified mentalization based therapy (MBT) day programme and an open access service‐user network (SUN) support. Both arms utilised therapeutic community principles in service delivery.
Design/methodology/approach
Personality disorder subtypes for all patients entering the modified MBT programme were diagnosed at a clinical assessment interview and corroborated through use of a standardized semi‐structured interview (SCID II). All patients were also allowed open access to a service user network community support group (SUN Project). Outcome measures were applied at baseline, mid‐therapy and end of therapy and included self‐report measures of depression, anxiety, general symptom distress, interpersonal function, social adjustment and patient satisfaction. Clinician‐rated measures of general health and functioning were also used. Data analysis used paired sample T‐tests and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests, depending upon the assessment of parametric or nonparametric tests of trend. The open access nature of the SUN Project demanded a different data collection method. All members received a Standardized Assessment of Personality – abbreviated scale (SAPAS). Two validated empowerment questionnaires were sent to all SUN members that had achieved six months of membership: the first relating to the six‐month period before joining the SUN and the second to the six‐month period after joining the SUN Project. Paired sample T‐tests were used to compare sets of empowerment scores.
Findings
Patients who completed 18 months of MBT‐tc treatment showed a statistically significant improvement on the clinician‐administered measures relating to psychological, social and occupational functioning, compared to baseline. Patients also reported statistically significant improvement in using the brief symptom inventory. All SUN members perceived significant increases in empowerment across the five score subscales. No completed suicidal acts were recorded within the period of analysis within either arm of the service.
Originality/value
An integrated therapeutic community day service appears to afford improvements in perceived empowerment and symptom severity for patients. Further data collection with a larger sample is needed to clarify whether these outcomes support the development of a wider integration of the relatively low cost SUN Project model and MBT within therapeutic communities.
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Andrew Rothwell and John Arnold
Employability concerns the extent to which people possess the skills and other attributes to find and stay in work of the kind they want. It is thought by many to be a key goal…
Abstract
Purpose
Employability concerns the extent to which people possess the skills and other attributes to find and stay in work of the kind they want. It is thought by many to be a key goal for individuals to aim for in managing their careers, and for organisations to foster in workforces. The purpose of this paper is to report on the development of a self‐report measure of individuals' perceived employability. It also seeks to examine its construct validity and correlates.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the analysis of relevant literature, this study developed 16 items which were intended collectively to reflect employability within and outside the person's current organisation, based on his or her personal and occupational attributes. This study administered these items by questionnaire to 200 human resources professionals in the UK, along with established measures of career success and professional commitment, as well as questions reflecting demographic variables.
Findings
This article retained 11 of the 16 items for assessing self‐perceived employability. Concludes that self‐perceived employability can usefully be thought of as either a unitary construct, or one with two related components – internal (to the organisation) and external employability. The measure very successfully distinguished employability from professional commitment, and fairly successfully from career success. Only slight variations in employability could be attributed to demographic characteristics.
Research limitations/implications
This research has begun to address the gap in the literature for a brief yet psychometrically adequate measure of self‐perceived individual employability.
Practical implications
This author believes that the scale can be applied to other occupational groups, in organisational consultancy, and in individual career development. It can be used either as one scale or two, depending on the purpose of the investigation.
Originality/value
Concludes that this research represents a psychometrically adequate contribution in an under‐researched field, and will lead to future research with other occupational samples, and in other settings.
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Gozde Aydin, Claire Margerison, Anthony Worsley and Alison Booth
Schools have long been perceived as an ideal setting to support the healthy eating behaviours of children. The aim of the study was to examine the views of Australian primary…
Abstract
Purpose
Schools have long been perceived as an ideal setting to support the healthy eating behaviours of children. The aim of the study was to examine the views of Australian primary school parents regarding school food and nutrition, including education, practices and policy.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was conducted among 787 parents in March 2021, which included closed and open-ended questions.
Findings
The results indicated the inconsistent implementation of policies and/or varying practices among different schools. Parents’ views were slightly associated with some demographic and personal measures including their SES levels, education, age, the main language spoken at home and universalism values. Parents viewed healthy food provision through canteens, policies and informing parents, fruit and vegetable breaks and kitchen and garden programs as the main contributors to the promotion of healthy eating. They believed unhealthy options in canteens, school fairs, events and birthdays are the major contributors to the formation of unhealthy eating habits among children at schools. Results revealed the efforts to establish health promoting school food environments in Australian primary schools; however, inconsistencies and discrepancies among schools should be addressed to ensure equity among all children.
Practical implications
The findings may provide directions for policymakers and school managers and can inform future reforms and initiatives in Australian primary schools and elsewhere.
Originality/value
This is the first study that has examined Australian parents’ views of school food policy, practices and environments using a mixed-methods design.
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Adrienne Vanessa Levay, Gwen E. Chapman and Barbara Seed
The purpose of this paper is to explore the paradoxical resistance of parent and private school food vendors to the paternalistic nature of school food policies. It develops the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the paradoxical resistance of parent and private school food vendors to the paternalistic nature of school food policies. It develops the hypothesis that resistance, on the basis of them being “paternalistic”, is associated with implementers experiencing ethical breaches that contribute to frustration and low acceptability. This may be leading to accusations of paternalism and non-cooperation.
Design/methodology/approach
It takes a deontological perspective and uses Upshur’s (2002) public health ethics framework to explore the potential that parents involved in school fundraising and private school food vendors are experiencing ethical breaches associated with implementation of school food and beverage sales policies in the Canadian context.
Findings
Upshur’s (2002) harm principle highlighted how some implementers feel a loss of freedom in how they choose to function, which is perceived to be resulting in lost profits. Parents involved in fundraising activities may experience feelings of coercion. Opting out of fundraising may result in their children’s schools having fewer resources. Smaller private vendors are coerced through economic incentives while being bound by what products are available in the marketplace and the associated costs of items that comply with nutrition standards. Discussion around the reciprocity principle revealed implementers feel they are not adequately supported to implement. Transparency has been questioned where stakeholders report their perspectives are often not equally considered in decision making.
Originality/value
This is the first paper to explore the often cited resistance to the paternalistic nature of school food and beverage environment policies as an implementation barrier. Using a deontological ethical perspective offers an original way to discuss school food policies. This work offers potential leverage points at which policy-makers and practitioners may intervene to improve acceptability and contribute to more effective, consistent implementation.
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Forough Nasirpouri Shadbad and David Biros
Since the emergence of the Internet in the twentieth century and the rapid growth of different types of information technologies (IT), our lives, either personal or professional…
Abstract
Since the emergence of the Internet in the twentieth century and the rapid growth of different types of information technologies (IT), our lives, either personal or professional, have become digitised. Adoption and diffusion of IT enhance individuals and organisational performance, yet scholars discovered a dual nature of IT in which IT usage may have negative aspects too. First, the inability to cope with IT in a healthy manner creates stress in users, termed technostress. Second, digitisation and adoption of new technologies (e.g. IoT and multi-cloud environments) have increased vulnerabilities to information security (InfoSec) threats. Although organisations utilise counteraction strategies (e.g., security systems, security policies), end-users remain the top source of security incidents. Existing behavioural research has approached technostress and InfoSec independently. However, it is not clear how technology-stressors influence employees’ security-related behaviours. This chapter reviews the interaction effect of these concepts in detail by proposing a conceptual model that explains that technostress is the main reason for employees’ non-compliance with security policies in which users with high-level perceptions of technostress are more likely to violate InfoSec policies. Counteraction strategies to mitigate technostress and security threats are also discussed.
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Maria Dharmesti, Theresia Rasika Seta Dharmesti, Sarah Kuhne and Park Thaichon
The purpose of this paper is to examine online purchase behaviours amongst young consumers in Australia and the USA. It also aims to develop and test a theoretical framework of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine online purchase behaviours amongst young consumers in Australia and the USA. It also aims to develop and test a theoretical framework of young consumers’ online purchase behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through online surveys targeting young online shoppers in Australia and the USA. A multi-group structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed structural model and hypotheses.
Findings
The model shows a good fit with the data. Young consumers in Australia and the USA have positive attitude towards online shopping that significantly affects their online purchase intentions. Social motive negatively impacts online purchase intentions in the Australian sample. Escapism and value motives positively affect Australian and American young shoppers’ online purchase intentions. Young consumers in Australia and the USA are very familiar with the online shopping process. The familiarity strongly triggers their information search behaviour that leads to online purchase intentions.
Practical implications
The results of this paper assist the marketers and policy makers to target and appeal to this young segment, based on their unique motivations, values and characteristics.
Originality/value
Using the generational cohort theory, this paper contributes to the extant literature by providing insights on the Australian and American young generation’s unique values and characteristics that influence their online purchase behaviours. This research also contributes insights for the marketers and policy makers to improve their marketing efforts and services and appeal to this young segment, based on their unique values and characteristics.
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– The purpose of this survey is to find a significant sample of reference resources for electrical engineering as they are presented in subject-specific LibGuides.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this survey is to find a significant sample of reference resources for electrical engineering as they are presented in subject-specific LibGuides.
Design/methodology/approach
The survey is based on a detailed observation and collection of sources designated as Reference Resources in LibGuides, titles found were compiled and organized.
Findings
The results are substantial; they offered a body of specialized resources, which includes e-book collections, dictionaries, handbooks, encyclopedias and other resources that are important to electrical engineering students and researchers.
Research limitations/implications
A considerable amount of resources were found; nevertheless, they represent the resources found in a randomly selected sample of LibGuides; therefore, the result is limited to the group of libraries selected.
Practical implications
The results of this survey are valuable to subject librarians interested in comparing resources with a pool of libraries and to discover titles that can be of interest to their collections.
Originality/value
The work is original, as this is the first paper publishing the results of a survey of electrical engineering guides.