Johan Elliott, Chris Hatton and Eric Emerson
The paper presents a comprehensive review of the UK research literature on the health needs of people with learning disabilities, and the response of mainstream health services to…
Abstract
The paper presents a comprehensive review of the UK research literature on the health needs of people with learning disabilities, and the response of mainstream health services to those health needs. Evidence from the review, although limited in some areas, clearly demonstrates that people with learning disabilities in the UK have significantly poorer health than the UK population generally in a number of priority areas for the NHS. Furthermore, people with learning disabilities have particularly poor health in a number of additional areas involving significant mainstream NHS resources. Despite these considerably greater health needs, people with learning disabilities receive poorer support from mainstream health services, across primary care, hospital services and screening programmes.The findings of the review indicate that mainstream NHS services should not only include people with learning disabilities, but also prioritise them as a particularly vulnerable group requiring urgent attention if general NHS priorities for health inequalities and service standards are to be met.
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Aleksandra Stojanovska, Roslyn Kerr and Greg Ryan
Drawing on a larger study of coaches, parents, and children involved in nonelite sport in New Zealand, this chapter examines Jay Coakley's (2021) concept of the “Great Sport Myth”…
Abstract
Drawing on a larger study of coaches, parents, and children involved in nonelite sport in New Zealand, this chapter examines Jay Coakley's (2021) concept of the “Great Sport Myth” (GSM), whereby a strong belief in the innate purity and goodness of sport produces a reluctance to criticize it. This chapter emphasizes the developmental outcomes that parents and children believe are gained through sport and demonstrates the ways that parents relinquish control to coaches and reinforce the dominance of the coach as the decision-maker through their belief in the strength of the GSM. These findings are significant, given the large number of abuse cases that have come to light in sport in recent decades where the absence of parental intervention is marked. Not only are children socialized by their time in sport, but so too are parents, who are taught that they are “good” parents if they trust the work of the coach. The findings are also at odds with a prevailing neoliberal emphasis on individualization, especially in education policy and practice, where parents are more likely to intervene to assert the individualized needs of their children. This study is unique in addressing the relatively neglected experiences of those who play at the competitive, but not serious or elite, end of sport.
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Stefano Toderi and Cristian Balducci
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate if the Management Standards (MS) Indicator Tool developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for the assessment of work-related…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate if the Management Standards (MS) Indicator Tool developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for the assessment of work-related stress is associated with positive work-related outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 326 employees of an Italian firm filled in a questionnaire including the HSE Indicator Tool (measuring MS) and validated scales investigating personal development, job performance and Organizational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB). Regression analyses were run to evaluate the explained variance of the outcomes and the demands/control interaction effect hypothesized by Karasek’s active learning hypothesis.
Findings
The MS explained variance of all the outcomes analysed and the active learning hypothesis was confirmed for personal development. Contrary to previous studies on negative stress-related outcomes, “job content” MS were the most important predictors. However, higher job demands were unexpectedly positively associated with the outcomes.
Practical implications
Taking into account positive work-related outcomes could provide organizations with additional information for the development of interventions with greater emphasis on preventive orientation (improvement of health, well-being and motivation, rather than only work stress reduction).
Originality/value
The study provides new insight into the relationship between MS and positive work-related outcomes, thus expanding the nomological network of the Indicator Tool questionnaire and giving empirical evidence to the notion of the “business case” for work stress prevention. Firms performing well on MS could expect greater worker development and higher performance.
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The intention is to introduce the conceptual framework proposed by Brown, Odom, and Conroy (2001) for the implementation of social interaction intervention. This tiered system…
Abstract
The intention is to introduce the conceptual framework proposed by Brown, Odom, and Conroy (2001) for the implementation of social interaction intervention. This tiered system organizes intervention strategies for early childhood professionals to make informed decision on how to promote social interactions of young children who are at risk for social competence difficulties in inclusive early childhood programs.
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Ekaterina Uglanova, Rosanna Cousins and Jan Dettmers
This study aims to develop a reliable and valid German/Deutsch version of the management standards indicator tool (MSIT-D) to broaden the pool of instruments available to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to develop a reliable and valid German/Deutsch version of the management standards indicator tool (MSIT-D) to broaden the pool of instruments available to practitioners and to support international collaborations regarding this workplace management issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The MSIT-D was translated from English to German, then its psychometric properties examined using data from British employees (n = 321) and German employees (n = 358). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were used to evaluate the internal structure and measurement invariance, and Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess internal consistency. Comparisons were made with the German language risk assessment tool Fragebogen zur Gefährdungsbeurteilung psychischer Belastungen (FGBU) to examine concurrent and incremental validity. Criterion validity was checked using established measures of work-related health.
Findings
The MSIT-D has an equivalent seven-factor structure (demands, control, managerial support, peer support, relationships, role and change) as the original; the analyses confirmed configural and metric measurement invariance with the original scale. The internal consistency of the scales ranged from 0.82 to 0.91. Regarding criterion validity, the MSIT-D was positively correlated with emotional exhaustion and psychosomatic complaints and negatively correlated with work engagement and workability. The analyses yielded meaningful correlations between the MSIT-D dimensions and the FGBU.
Originality/value
This is the first study to develop a German version of the MSIT and confirm metric measurement invariance. This will allow a comparison of MSIT scores with related constructs between German- and English-speaking samples. As a reliable and valid instrument for assessing work-related stressors, the outcome of this study presents opportunities for developing a unified surveillance system for work-related stress at the European level.
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Some of the disadvantages of the cook‐chill method of catering aredescribed. The technique has been developed in a haphazard and ratherunscientific manner and, although becoming…
Abstract
Some of the disadvantages of the cook‐chill method of catering are described. The technique has been developed in a haphazard and rather unscientific manner and, although becoming increasingly widespread, serious doubts are cast on its safety vis‐á‐vis health.
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Quality is an effective strategic weapon for improving productivity in the organization. A quality management framework based on the attribute theory of service quality was used…
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Quality is an effective strategic weapon for improving productivity in the organization. A quality management framework based on the attribute theory of service quality was used to show how the organisational performance is affected by various quality dimensions. Using a questionnaire survey and subsequent data analysis, an empirically valid and reliable measurement instrument of quality dimensions was developed. Several multiple regression models were developed which indicated that the dimensions “role of top management” and “customer satisfaction” are among the most important in terms of their effect on organisational performance.
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Yunus Kathawala and William R. Allen
Job shop scheduling has been the focus of much research. Heuristicrules to assist in this endeavour abound in the literature. However,rules leading to the optimum schedule have…
Abstract
Job shop scheduling has been the focus of much research. Heuristic rules to assist in this endeavour abound in the literature. However, rules leading to the optimum schedule have been elusive. The predominant scheduling methods now used are specifically tailored to the type of job shop. Generally, various rules are tried and those giving the best result are used as a starting point. The human expert sifts the schedule through his experience filter, negotiates with affected parties, and finalizes a schedule. Expert systems are beginning to impact in this area. By assuming some of the filtering and negotiating roles of the human expert, they can allow schedulers to look at more alternatives and/or produce more timely schedules. Contains an extensive review of the literature pertaining to expert systems and job shop scheduling. Conclusions are drawn in terms of the advantages and disadvantages of these applications. Finally, recommendations for future directions are given.
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This chapter presents the first sociological study of outrigger canoe racing, or va'a, in Fiji, a sport deeply embedded in Pacific seafaring heritage. It begins with a brief…
Abstract
This chapter presents the first sociological study of outrigger canoe racing, or va'a, in Fiji, a sport deeply embedded in Pacific seafaring heritage. It begins with a brief history of va'a in Fiji, which emerged in the 1980s as part of a postcolonial ‘revival’ of indigenous cultural practices. The chapter subsequently examines the paddling community's notable inclusivity (in terms of gender, ethnicity, age and body shape), persisting exclusivity (in terms of class and geographical location) and dynamic engagement with the sport's cultural anchoring. A key contention of this chapter is that va'a, in its ongoing social construction, has become simultaneously a competitive sport with modern equipment and structures, a hip and cool recreational activity and a cohesive community with shared commitment to the relational value of the ocean, notwithstanding long-standing power differentials. The sport is hence positioned as integral to living, evolving culture rather than timeless indigeneity.
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I am going to talk both as a user and a perpetrator of translations, since, in the Patent Department of the Mond Nickel Company Limited, the Information Section has to abstract…
Abstract
I am going to talk both as a user and a perpetrator of translations, since, in the Patent Department of the Mond Nickel Company Limited, the Information Section has to abstract and translate patents and other legal documents as well as technical and scientific articles from, and occasionally into, foreign languages. A large part of this work is done within the department but the incessant pressure, due to the necessity of working to definite dates—a very common problem in patent work—forces us to send out some work to outside translators. We have thus acquired a considerable store of experience on the economic or L.s.d. side of translation work.