Gives a preliminary exploration into mission statements and their impacton nurses′ attitudes towards them. Mission statements are given muchcredence by top level management, as…
Abstract
Gives a preliminary exploration into mission statements and their impact on nurses′ attitudes towards them. Mission statements are given much credence by top level management, as part of the thrust towards corporate identity. Only 15 per cent of nurses (from an opportunistic sample of 87) acknowledged that mission statements were directly resonant with their own practice; 75 per cent did not know the originators of their mission statements; others were vague about their organization possessing one. Mission statements are best considered here as an organization rhetoric, a facet of managerial ideology. More research is needed to evaluate critically, by case studies, the impact of mission statements, as an organizational variable on, for example, health treatment and budgeting. Semiotics and communication theories offer this opportunity.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to propose an organizational behavioral perspective that could provide useful analysis tools to understand the behavior of public leaders working in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose an organizational behavioral perspective that could provide useful analysis tools to understand the behavior of public leaders working in changeable and uncertain contexts (like the Italian one). More specifically, drawing on public administration and organizational behavior literatures, this paper examines whether the lack of continuity and long-term planning is significantly associated to public service motivation for public management.
Design/methodology/approach
The main contribution of this study is in taking into account the agency of public managers in reaction to wider changes in their political context. It is a theoretical study that considers sudden changes in government from a behavioral perspective, analyzing an extreme case of political and organizational turnover, namely the Italian context.
Findings
Public managers, when faced with constant change, act as transformational leaders and have the objective of leverage on intrinsic motivations in order to make the change accepted and, more so, to make it perceived as an advantage for the administration.
Originality/value
This study is among the first to address the issue of public service motivation and intrinsic motivations in carrying out the own job in the public sphere in a constantly changing scenario. Assuming that motivational incentives for public and private employees are different, namely that the former, in particular, are particularly attracted to motivations related to people and common good, this study investigates how public service motivation should be stimulated and supported in a context of change.
Details
Keywords
R.D. Plant and C. Lossing‐Rangecroft
Six professions allied to medicine (PAMs) participated in a one‐year project designed to provide a novel self‐sustaining framework within which to increase research and…
Abstract
Six professions allied to medicine (PAMs) participated in a one‐year project designed to provide a novel self‐sustaining framework within which to increase research and development effectiveness in the Northern and Yorkshire region. The project was based on recognition that the multiplicity and diversity of professional structures and lack of representation of clinical PAMs were obstacles to effective governance. All 37 clinical NHS trusts within the Region took part. The professions selected to participate were chiropody and podiatry, dietetics, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and therapeutic radiography. A planned process of consultation and consensus was used involving Trust representatives, development workers and advisory group. A PAMs R&D network and forum were achieved and operate at three levels: Trust; locality; and region. Access to existing structures is facilitated at each level and the Forum offers a reliable and rapid route for transfer of information, engagement with R&D and consultation with policy initiatives.
Details
Keywords
Songli Zhu and Judith A. Cherni
The purpose of this paper is to identify the main environmental impacts of coal mining in China, examine the main institutions and reform factors that failed the control of these…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the main environmental impacts of coal mining in China, examine the main institutions and reform factors that failed the control of these damages, and discuss what would be necessary to establish a sustainable and environmentally responsible coal mining sector in the context of market and institutional reforms.
Design/methodology/approach
Review of existing knowledge, and semi‐structured interviewing with key informants in the policy and industry sectors has been the main method of primary and secondary data collection. Grounded theory was used to analyze original data.
Findings
The large and fast growing coal industry in China has caused significant environmental degradation, including land subsidence and water intrusion, as well as remarkable records of miner's poor safety and health. Market reform was mostly unsuccessful in integrating environmental consideration into production and marketing decisions. Main factors of reform that have been associated with this problem are price deregulation and excessive competition inside the industry. Institutional reform, in fact, enhanced the status of State Environment Protection Agency; however, it impaired environmental governance in the coal industry. It is suggested that market reform as applicable to the China coal industry economic sector in particular should reconsider its approach in light of the numerous problems it has created.
Originality/value
The paper identifies and puts together the condition of the growing coal industry in China after market reform, articulating the huge environmental costs that this development has imposed on the country, while calling for an environmentally sustainable coal industry.
Details
Keywords
The behavioral framework presents a logic for understanding the relationships between characteristics of the organization and the HRM system. Drawing on this logic to connect the…
Abstract
Purpose
The behavioral framework presents a logic for understanding the relationships between characteristics of the organization and the HRM system. Drawing on this logic to connect the broader management oriented area of strategy with HRM, a micro-level lens is used to examine how competitive strategies and human resource (HR) practice subsystems cohere to influence employees' role behaviors and performance outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
Online survey data were collected from 301 employees working in the retail trade and hospitality segments of New Zealand's service industry.
Findings
Relationships represented in the behavioral model are supported. Specifically, this study finds identifiable differences between the types of HR practices employed and the competitive strategy followed by an organization. Distinguishable sets of HR practices could also be connected to discernible employee role behaviors, which in turn, were related to strategically-aligned performance outcomes. Some commonality in these relationships were evident however.
Practical implications
HR practitioners need to be cognizant of their organization's competitive strategy and ensure the design and messages sent by their HRM system supports the realization of desirable employee role behaviors that promote organizational success. This alignment is supported with job descriptions that clearly articulate to prospective employees the role behaviors required, along with screening processes that support this assessment.
Originality/value
This descriptive, exploratory study presenting data about the alignment between competitive strategies, HR practices, behavioral and performance outcomes contributes to our understanding of contingency arguments and employees' experiences and reactions to HRM. Moreover, by adopting a particularistic focus, this research is able to highlight the salient role of context in SHRM research.
Details
Keywords
A new prototyping technology named QuickCast, developed by USA‐based 3D Systems, has been introduced to the European market. Since its USA introduction 12 months ago, the method…
Abstract
A new prototyping technology named QuickCast, developed by USA‐based 3D Systems, has been introduced to the European market. Since its USA introduction 12 months ago, the method has been adopted by investment‐casting foundries and end‐user industries such as aerospace.
Nila Keumala, Mohammed Amer Younus, Yong Kuan, Asrul Sani Bin Abdul Razak, Muhammad Azzam Ismail and Karam M. Al-Obaidi
The increasing global concerns about the environmental degradation and climate changes oblige architecture students to apply sustainable design approaches in their studio…
Abstract
The increasing global concerns about the environmental degradation and climate changes oblige architecture students to apply sustainable design approaches in their studio projects. Therefore, renewable energy raises the expectation of providing sustainable solutions for their architectural design proposals. This paper aims to investigate the learning of students in knowledge, awareness and applicability on sustainability during their first three years of the part 1 architecture programme. Surveys were conducted on 500 students from eight architecture schools from the local universities, two architecture schools from the polytechnic colleges and three architectural schools from the overseas universities. These survey results from 335 respondents confirmed that the learning on sustainability through self (51.6%), peer (48.6%) and design studio lecturers (37.0%). These results confirmed also that most respondents did rely on pre-design assessments to develop sustainable design strategies in their final architectural design proposals. These results concluded that the perception of architecture students on learning sustainability is based mainly on other sources. These findings provide knowledge for educationists and practitioners towards the planning of architecture curriculum and the implementation of pedagogical approach in sustainability. This paper determines the most important source of learning on sustainability knowledge for students in the pedagogy at university level.
Details
Keywords
Andra Gumbus and Frances Grodzinsky
Women as individuals experience subtle discrimination regarding career development opportunities as evidenced by research on the Glass Ceiling. This paper looks at the…
Abstract
Women as individuals experience subtle discrimination regarding career development opportunities as evidenced by research on the Glass Ceiling. This paper looks at the ramifications of technology, specifically the Internet, and how it affects women’s career opportunities.
Details
Keywords
Irina Farquhar and Alan Sorkin
This study proposes targeted modernization of the Department of Defense (DoD's) Joint Forces Ammunition Logistics information system by implementing the optimized innovative…
Abstract
This study proposes targeted modernization of the Department of Defense (DoD's) Joint Forces Ammunition Logistics information system by implementing the optimized innovative information technology open architecture design and integrating Radio Frequency Identification Device data technologies and real-time optimization and control mechanisms as the critical technology components of the solution. The innovative information technology, which pursues the focused logistics, will be deployed in 36 months at the estimated cost of $568 million in constant dollars. We estimate that the Systems, Applications, Products (SAP)-based enterprise integration solution that the Army currently pursues will cost another $1.5 billion through the year 2014; however, it is unlikely to deliver the intended technical capabilities.
Andy Turner, Alba X. Realpe, Louise M. Wallace and Joanna Kosmala-Anderson
There is growing interest in self-management support for people living with mental health problems. The purpose of this paper is to describe the evaluation of a co-designed and…
Abstract
Purpose
There is growing interest in self-management support for people living with mental health problems. The purpose of this paper is to describe the evaluation of a co-designed and co-delivered self-management programme (SMP) for people living with depression delivered as part of large scale National Health Service quality improvement programme, which was grounded in the principles of co-production. The authors investigated whether participants became more activated, were less psychologically distressed enjoyed better health status, and quality of life, and improved their self-management skills after attending the seven-week SMP.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a longitudinal study of 114 people living with depression who attended the SMP. Participants completed self-reported measures before attending the SMP and at six months follow up.
Findings
Patient activation significantly improved six months after the SMP (baseline M=49.6, SD=12.3, follow up M=57.2, SD=15.0, t(113)=4.83, p < 0.001; d=0.61). Participants’ experience of depression symptoms as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 significantly reduced (baseline M=15.5, SD=6.8, follow up M=10.6, SD=6.9, t(106)=7.22, p < 0.001, d=−0.72). Participants’ anxiety and depression as measured by the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale also decreased significantly (baseline anxiety: M=13.1, SD=4.2, follow up M=10.2, SD=4.4, t(79)=6.29, p < 0.001, d=−0.69); (baseline depression: M=10.3, SD=4.6, follow up M=7.7, SD=4.5, t(79)=5.32, p < 0.001, d=−0.56). The authors also observed significant improvement in participants’ health status (baseline M=0.5, SD=0.3, follow up M=0.6, SD=0.3, t(97)=−3.86, p < 0.001, d=0.33), and health-related quality of life (baseline M=45.4, SD=20.5, follow up M=60.8, SD=22.8, t(91)=−2.71, p=0.008, d=0.75). About 35 per cent of participant showed substantial improvements of self-management skills.
Originality/value
The co-produced depression SMP is innovative in a UK mental health setting. Improvements in activation, depression, anxiety, quality of life and self-management skills suggest that the SMP could make a useful contribution to the recovery services in mental health.