Reuben Eldar and Revital Ronen
Describes the three stages of implementation of a quality assuranceprogramme (preparatory, development of quality assurance structure andprocess, appearance of quality assurance…
Abstract
Describes the three stages of implementation of a quality assurance programme (preparatory, development of quality assurance structure and process, appearance of quality assurance outcomes). Observes that it is advantageous to implement the programme by providing external support to internal quality assurance efforts. Mentions the way of conducting a formative and a summative evaluation of a programme as well as the factors that influence the effectiveness of a programme
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The need for a quality assurance programme based on criteria and standards appropriate to the prevalent conditions of hospitals in less‐developed countries is discussed, and some…
Abstract
The need for a quality assurance programme based on criteria and standards appropriate to the prevalent conditions of hospitals in less‐developed countries is discussed, and some guidelines for the development of such criteria and standards are suggested.
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This chapter looks into unpleasant affective states, or rather “dreaded emotions,” in leadership. Specifically, the adaptive roles and functions of fear, anger, and sadness are…
Abstract
Purpose
This chapter looks into unpleasant affective states, or rather “dreaded emotions,” in leadership. Specifically, the adaptive roles and functions of fear, anger, and sadness are reviewed and discussed in a leadership context.
Design
The social functions of fear, anger, and sadness are first presented. Following each emotion, the target of emotional expression – both other-directed (i.e., targeting followers and/or emotion-eliciting events) and self-directed (i.e., targeting leader) – is further discussed.
Findings
A symmetrical assumption has emerged over recent years that positive emotions result in positive outcomes and negative emotions lead to negative outcomes. In practice, the realities of organizational life and leader–follower interactions do not reflect such a neat juxtaposition. Positively valenced emotions can yield negative outcomes, and negatively valenced emotions can bring about positive outcomes.
Research Implications
Unpleasant emotions – fear and sadness, in particular – remain understudied in organizational and leadership literature, even though leaders experience these emotions just like the rest of us. This review offers ideas, through the combination of psychological and leadership research, on how social functions of dreaded emotions, including fear, anger, and sadness, can yield desirable leadership outcomes.
Originality/Value
This chapter provides a review on unpleasant emotions (i.e., fear, anger, and sadness) that are rarely discussed and underresearched in leadership literature.
Yolanda Muñoz-Martínez, Cecilia Simon Rueda and MªLuz M. Fernández-Blázquez
This study analyses the barriers and facilitators for the educational inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the perspective of their teachers.
Abstract
Purpose
This study analyses the barriers and facilitators for the educational inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the perspective of their teachers.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative methodology was applied, specifically a multiple case study from which 24 in-depth interviews were conducted with teachers who had worked previously with students with ASD. The participants were Spanish teachers from different educational stages (from early childhood education to baccalaureate) and with different roles (ordinary classroom teachers and support teachers).
Findings
The results show that collaboration amongst teachers, their attitudes, the way of understanding the supports, the creation of collaboration between students and the organisation of both the school and the classroom are important for the inclusion of students with ASD. The analyses and discussion of the facilitators for the inclusion of these students are especially relevant, since they provide useful guidance for teachers who want to respond to the right of these students to an inclusive education.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations and future research lines of this study are related to the logic of amplitude and depth, respectively. Regarding amplitude, the authors highlighted the importance of gathering the voices of professionals committed to the development of more inclusive practices; however, the authors also identified the need to expand the listening to the voices of teachers who do not have such experience. This raises a possible future research line: to explore how to reach teachers with no experience in inclusive education in order to contribute to the transformation of their practice.
Practical implications
There is extensive knowledge within the classrooms, which the authors aimed to demonstrate in this study, with the hope that others can learn from it. The obtained results are useful to every teacher who wishes to create an inclusive school. In agreement with the consideration of inclusive education as a process, this investigation identified strategies and resources that facilitate the learning and participation of students with ASD, as well as barriers that must be tackled to advance in this regard.
Originality/value
The authors aimed to contribute to understanding the advances in the development of the right to inclusive education. To this end, the authors gathered the voices of teachers (those from the ordinary classroom and those considered “support teachers”) from regular schools that welcome students with ASD and which had a history of commitment to the development of more inclusive education. There is extensive knowledge within the classrooms, which the authors aimed to demonstrate in this study, with the hope that others can learn from it. The obtained results are useful to every teacher who wishes to create an inclusive school.
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Hagit Ari-Am and Thomas P. Gumpel
This chapter describes the current state of special education in Israel as well as what the future holds with possible solutions to improve services for individuals with…
Abstract
This chapter describes the current state of special education in Israel as well as what the future holds with possible solutions to improve services for individuals with disabilities. Israel is a very complex society and, as such, the educational system is very complex as well. The development of the special education system in Israel will be described as well as the current policies. In addition, different service delivery models will be explained. Inclusionary practices in Israel will be discussed as well as the prevalence and incidence rates of different disabilities in Israel and how they have changed over time. Finally, different strategies and models for implementation of services will be described and the importance of teacher training to meet student needs will be highlighted.
Asgar Aghaei Hashjin, Bahram Delgoshaei, Dionne S Kringos, Seyed Jamaladin Tabibi, Jila Manouchehri and Niek S Klazinga
– The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of applied hospital quality assurance (QA) policies in Iran.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of applied hospital quality assurance (QA) policies in Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed method (quantitative data and qualitative document analysis) study was carried out between 1996 and 2010.
Findings
The QA policy cycle forms a tight monitoring system to assure hospital quality by combining mandatory and voluntary methods in Iran. The licensing, annual evaluation and grading, and regulatory inspections statutorily implemented by the government as a national package to assure and improve hospital care quality, while implementing quality management systems (QMS) was voluntary for hospitals. The government’s strong QA policy legislation role and support has been an important factor for successful QA implementation in Iran, though it may affected QA assessment independency and validity. Increased hospital evaluation independency and repositioning, updating standards, professional involvement and effectiveness studies could increase QA policy impact and maturity.
Practical implications
The study highlights the current QA policy implementation cycle in Iranian hospitals. It provides a basis for further quality strategy development in Iranian hospitals and elsewhere. It also raises attention about finding the optimal balance between different QA policies, which is topical for many countries.
Originality/value
This paper describes experiences when implementing a unique approach, combining mandatory and voluntary QA policies simultaneously in a developing country, which has invested considerably over time to improve hospital quality. The experiences with a mixed obligatory/voluntary approach and comprehensive policies in Iran may contain lessons for policy makers in developing and developed countries.
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The following article seeks to expand comprehension of the concept of vulnerability in order to promote further scholarship in this area and provide policy guidance for…
Abstract
Purpose
The following article seeks to expand comprehension of the concept of vulnerability in order to promote further scholarship in this area and provide policy guidance for practitioners.
Design/methodology/approach
Various findings from the academic literature pertaining to vulnerability are discussed in order to generate a more holistic understanding of this key factor of disaster.
Findings
This exposition defines vulnerability, illustrates the causes of vulnerability, identifies those who may be vulnerable to disasters, and suggests ways to reduce vulnerability.
Research limitations/implications
Because this paper offers a preliminary view that both includes and goes beyond the traditional social vulnerability school, additional research on this matter will undoubtedly be required. However, it is hoped that the breadth and complexity of challenges we are currently facing will be made manifest in this discussion.
Originality/value
This paper extends the author's prior work in this area and reinforces the need to give greater priority to the concept of vulnerability in disaster research and emergency management.
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The following conceptual exposition is presented in light of the growing number of scholars who indicate need for a comprehensive and coherent approach to disaster reduction…
Abstract
Purpose
The following conceptual exposition is presented in light of the growing number of scholars who indicate need for a comprehensive and coherent approach to disaster reduction, while practitioners seem to be continually faced with dynamic and seemingly contradictory goals and strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
This article reviews arguments from an assorted collection of literature in order to increase theoretical understanding of disasters and attempts to integrate various concepts, paradigms and policy proposals.
Findings
The discussion points out the strengths and weaknesses of alternative viewpoints about disasters, and suggests that a broad conceptualization of vulnerability may be best suited to assimilate findings for academia and simplify policy guidance for professionals in the field.
Research limitations/implications
Because this is a cursory exploration of the casting of vulnerability management in terms of liability reduction and capacity building, additional research on the matter will undoubtedly be needed. Nonetheless, it is hoped that this article may pull together diverse academic frameworks, in order to avert recurring mistakes among those designing and implementing policy.
Originality/value
By updating the author's prior work in this area with additional considerations regarding the natural hazards, civil defense, risk management and homeland security schools, this article may be useful for scholars and practitioners interested in reversing the trend of more frequent and intense disasters.
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This paper aims to expand comprehension of the concept of vulnerability in order to promote further scholarship in this area and provide policy guidance for practitioners.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to expand comprehension of the concept of vulnerability in order to promote further scholarship in this area and provide policy guidance for practitioners.
Design/methodology/approach
Various findings from the academic literature pertaining to vulnerability are discussed in order to generate a more holistic understanding of this key factor of disaster.
Findings
This exposition defines vulnerability, illustrates the causes of vulnerability, identifies those who may be vulnerable to disasters, and suggests ways to reduce vulnerability.
Research limitations/implications
Because this paper offers a preliminary view that both includes and goes beyond the traditional social vulnerability school, additional research on this matter will undoubtedly be required. However, it is hoped that the breadth and complexity of challenges being faced currently will be made manifest in this discussion.
Originality/value
This paper extends the author's prior work in this area and reinforces the need to give greater priority to the concept of vulnerability in disaster research and emergency management.
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Revital Gross, Yael Ashkenazi, Hava Tabenkin, Avi Porath and Alec Aviram
The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that contribute to the success or failure of quality assurance programs implemented by Israeli managed care health plans.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that contribute to the success or failure of quality assurance programs implemented by Israeli managed care health plans.
Design/methodology/approach
An in‐depth study of seven quality assurance programs was conducted, comparing successful with unsuccessful ones using the comparative “case study” method. Employing a semi‐structured questionnaire, 42 program directors and professionals in the field were interviewed.
Findings
A number of factors associated with the programs' success emerged. Those external to the program included: ongoing management support, resource allocation, information system support and perceived financial benefit for the organization. Internal factors included: leadership, perceived problem's importance, laying the groundwork in the field, involving field staff in planning and implementation and staff motivation.
Originality/value
The study provides insights into ways to encourage the implementation of successful quality assurance programs in the special organizational context of managed care health plans. As the implementation relies heavily on data, one important precondition is the development of computerized information systems to facilitate ongoing data collection. It is also necessary from the planning stage to take into account organizational factors that affect success.