Niall Corcoran and Aidan Duane
The management of organisational knowledge and the promotion of staff knowledge sharing are largely neglected in higher education institutions. The purpose of this study is to…
Abstract
Purpose
The management of organisational knowledge and the promotion of staff knowledge sharing are largely neglected in higher education institutions. The purpose of this study is to examine how enterprise social networks can enable staff knowledge sharing in communities of practice in that context.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is framed as an Action Research project, covering three cycles over a 12-month period. During the Diagnosing phase, a conceptual model was developed for empirical testing. Data were collected through 30 semi-structured interviews and a number of focus groups. This was supplemented by content analysis and reflective journaling.
Findings
The findings support the conceptual model and provide insight into the antecedents necessary for the creation of an enterprise social network-enabled knowledge-sharing environment, the motivators for and barriers to participation, and the perceived organisational and individual benefits of increased staff knowledge-sharing activity.
Research limitations/implications
As the study has a higher education focus, all of the findings may not be generalizable to other types of organisation. Further development of the conceptual model and testing in other contextual settings will yield greater generalizability.
Practical implications
A number of findings have practical implications for the management of higher education institutions, such as the evidence of a divide between faculty and other staff. In general, the study findings provide an opportunity for educationalists to better understand the scope and impact of employing social media platforms for knowledge sharing.
Originality/value
This paper adds to the growing body of work on organisational implementations of social media, and should be of interest to practitioners and researchers undertaking similar projects.
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Niall McTernan, Eve Griffin, Grace Cully, Enda Kelly, Sarah Hume and Paul Corcoran
Internationally, rates of suicide and lifetime self-harm are higher in prisoners compared to the general population. This study aims to identify specific characteristics of…
Abstract
Purpose
Internationally, rates of suicide and lifetime self-harm are higher in prisoners compared to the general population. This study aims to identify specific characteristics of self-harming behaviour and to establish a profile of prisoners who engage in self-harm.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from the Self-Harm Assessment and Data Analysis Project (SADA) on self-harm episodes in prisons in the Republic of Ireland during 2017–2019 was used. Annual rates per 1,000 were calculated by age and gender.
Findings
The rate of self-harm between 2017 and 2019 was 31 per 1,000 prisoners for men and six times higher at 184 per 1,000 prisoners for women. The rate of self-harm was twice as high among prisoners on remand than sentenced prisoners (60.5 versus 31.3 per 1,000). The highest rates of self-harm among sentenced prisoners were observed among 18–29-year-old men (45 per 1,000) and women (125 per 1,000). The rate of self-harm was higher among women prisoners in all age groups. Contributory factors associated with self-harm were mainly related to mental health but also linked to a prisoner’s environment and relationships.
Practical implications
There is a need to ensure access to timely and suitable mental health services, including both appropriate referral and provision of evidence-based mental health interventions to address the needs of these cohorts.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first national study to systematically examine incidence and patterns of self-harm among the prison population in Ireland. The recording of severity/intent of each episode is novel when assessing self-harm among the prison population.
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Meabh Bonham-Corcoran, Alexandra Armstrong, Amy O’Briain, Amy Cassidy and Niall Turner
This review aims to identify the commonly used nature-based therapies, the cohorts that benefit from these interventions, and the potential environmental impact of nature-based…
Abstract
Purpose
This review aims to identify the commonly used nature-based therapies, the cohorts that benefit from these interventions, and the potential environmental impact of nature-based therapies.
Design/methodology/approach
An integrative review methodology was taken. The literature was analysed and synthesised through thematic analysis.
Findings
Three themes emerged from the analysis: categories of nature-based therapies; benefits of nature-based therapies; and the gains from nature-based therapies are not universal. Evidence of physiological, psychological, social, vocational and quality of life benefits from participation in nature-based therapies was evident in the literature. However, there was insufficient empirical evidence of the benefits for the environment.
Practical implications
Occupational therapists assist populations across the life course. Consequentially, they can be found working in a diverse range of clinical contexts. This review asserts that nature-based therapies could be a positive addition in many of these contexts. Further, while engagement in activities in natural environments is frequently used by occupational therapists practicing within institution environments, there is evidence to support its use in community service models and potentially in public health strategies.
Originality/value
This integrative review brings together evidence on a diverse range of nature-based therapies, cohorts, associated benefits and factors that influence these. The lack of empirical evidence on the benefits of nature-based therapies for the environment is acknowledged as a gap in the literature
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Galway provided another example of ‘risk society’ with the outbreak of a parasitic-related contamination of municipal water supplied in 2007. The ‘Galway Water Crisis’ emerged in…
Abstract
Galway provided another example of ‘risk society’ with the outbreak of a parasitic-related contamination of municipal water supplied in 2007. The ‘Galway Water Crisis’ emerged in March of 2007, in the aftermath of an outbreak of the cryptosporidium parasite in the local water system.1 This crisis reflects the failure to protect large bodies of water such as Lough Corrib from the impacts of human development. As the degradation of water supplies has continued, urban centres such as Galway have had to contend with boil notices, health warnings and a political ‘blame game’ in the run-up to the 2007 election. This chapter will examine the key issues surrounding the water crisis in the west, detailing the costs of this issue to those charged with dealing with it.