Bill Wilson, Bob Bocher, Sally Drew, Neah Lohr, Todd Penske and Bill Wilson
One word characterizes the implementation of information technologies and advanced telecommunications in Wisconsin over the past decade: “uneven.” Wisconsin was a leader in the…
Abstract
One word characterizes the implementation of information technologies and advanced telecommunications in Wisconsin over the past decade: “uneven.” Wisconsin was a leader in the development of its statewide union catalog, known as WISCAT (Wisconsin catalog). From its humble beginnings in the early 1980s, WISCAT has grown into a CD‐ROM‐based catalog that contains 4.97 million titles and 24 million holdings from 1,084 contributing libraries in the state. Wisconsin's state library agency, the Division for Libraries and Community Learning, had an early Internet gopher and was among the first states to have a World Wide Web home page. On the other hand, the development of Internet access in libraries throughout the state has been slow. Great strides and technological innovation are much in evidence in some localities and regions, but other areas lag far behind. Measured by the comparative percentages of school and public libraries with Internet access, Wisconsin has been lax. Several events in the last two years hold promise for correcting this situation and for moving Wisconsin into the passing lane on the information superhighway.
Sally Wilson and Graham McCarthy
The purpose of this paper is to review one library's experiences of creating mobile services and illustrate how, by developing expertise in emerging technologies, libraries can…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review one library's experiences of creating mobile services and illustrate how, by developing expertise in emerging technologies, libraries can foster partnerships with other groups on campus and play a leading role in providing relevant student‐centred services.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper begins with a brief summary of mobile services offered by the Ryerson Library prior to the fall of 2008, discusses the results of a mobile device survey conducted that semester, and outlines the resulting mobile services that were developed by the Library which led to a campus‐wide collaboration to develop the framework for a student‐led mobile initiative. The technical framework and project management issues are also discussed.
Findings
A survey performed by the Ryerson University Library in the fall of 2008 indicated that smart phones were owned by approximately 20 percent of the student population but that within the next three years this figure could reach as much as 80 percent. To remain relevant, it is important that libraries adapt their services to this new environment.
Practical implications
The paper illustrates how library services can be adapted to the mobile environment and how the library can play a role in broader campus mobile initiatives.
Originality/value
All libraries will be interested in exploring the library services that were developed and adapted for mobile devices and of particular interest to academic libraries will be the building of collaborative relationships with other academic departments to provide services to students.
Details
Keywords
SELECTING the correct bearing for any particular application involves more than the determination of the correct type and size. It is true that the calculation of the nominal…
Abstract
SELECTING the correct bearing for any particular application involves more than the determination of the correct type and size. It is true that the calculation of the nominal working life will give an indication of the operational life before failure, but this calculation only takes into account the fatigue life of the material. If this theoretical life is to be obtained—and perhaps exceeded—then additional factors must be taken into account when initially designing the bearing arrangement. Lubrication and protection from the operating environment are two very important considerations.
This paper aims to demonstrate the value of physical experimentation in coaching to raise client awareness and enhance transformational potential.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to demonstrate the value of physical experimentation in coaching to raise client awareness and enhance transformational potential.
Design/methodology/approach
This action research case study involved working with an individual coaching client using an experimental Gestalt‐oriented approach.
Findings
This study finds that physical experimentation during coaching can raise awareness for both client and coach and create powerful dynamics in and between them to catalyse change.
Originality/value
This case study will help other coaching professionals to understand and apply a Gestalt‐oriented approach to their own thinking and practice.
Details
Keywords
Rita Komalasari, Sarah Wilson, Sudirman Nasir and Sally Haw
In spite of the effectiveness of opioid antagonist treatment (OAT) in reducing injecting drug use and needle sharing, programmes in prison continue to be largely stigmatised. This…
Abstract
Purpose
In spite of the effectiveness of opioid antagonist treatment (OAT) in reducing injecting drug use and needle sharing, programmes in prison continue to be largely stigmatised. This affects programme participation and the quality of programmes delivered. This study aims to explore how Indonesian prison staff and prisoners perceived and experienced stigma relating to prison OAT programmes and identify potential strategies to alleviate this stigma.
Design/methodology/approach
Three prisons in Indonesia were selected as part of a qualitative case study. Two of the prisons provided OAT, in the form of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit study participants. In total, 57 semi-structured interviews were conducted with prison governors, health-care staff, prison officers and prisoners. Prisoners included both participants and non-participants in methadone programmes. The data were analysed thematically.
Findings
MMT programme participants were perceived by both prison staff and other prisoners to be engaged in illicit drug use, and as lazy, poor, dirty and unproductive people. They were also presumed to be HIV-positive. These multi-layered, intersectional sources of (inter-personal) stigma amplified the effects on prisoners affecting not only their quality of life and mental health but also their access to prison parole programmes, and therefore the possibility of early release. In addition, organisational factors – notably non-confidential programme delivery and lack of both family and institutional supports for methadone prisoners – exacerbated the stigmatisation of MMT programme participants.
Practical implications
Effective strategies to alleviate stigma surrounding OAT programmes such as MMT programmes are urgently needed to ensure participation in and the quality of programmes in prisons.
Originality/value
Many prisoners reported experiencing stigma relating to their participation in MMT programmes in both the methadone prisons studied. They often emphasised the ways that this stigmatisation was amplified by the ways that MMT programme participation was associated with drug use and HIV infection. However, these intersecting experiences and concerns were not recognised by health-care staff or other prison staff. Effective strategies to alleviate stigma surrounding OAT programmes such as MMT programmes are urgently needed to ensure participation in and the quality of programmes in prisons.
Details
Keywords
Rita Komalasari, Sarah Wilson and Sally Haw
Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) programmes in prisons play a significant role in preventing the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Despite its proven effectiveness, both the…
Abstract
Purpose
Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) programmes in prisons play a significant role in preventing the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Despite its proven effectiveness, both the availability and coverage of prison OAT programmes remain low. This Indonesian study explores facilitators of, and barriers to, the delivery of methadone programmes in prisons using the social ecological model (SEM).
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a qualitative case study approach comprising two prisons with, and one prison without, methadone programmes. Purposive and snowball sampling was used to recruit study participants. In total, 57 in-depth interviews were conducted with prison governors, health-care staff, prison officers and prisoners. Data was analysed thematically.
Findings
The study findings identified facilitators of and barriers to the delivery of prison OAT programmes at all three levels of the SEM as follows: intrapersonal barriers including misperceptions relating to HIV transmission, the harm reduction role of OAT programmes, methadone dependency and withdrawal symptoms; interpersonal barriers such as inflexible OAT treatment processes and the wide availability of illicit drugs in prisons and; social-structural barriers, notably the general lack of resources.
Research limitations/implications
The findings highlight the importance of and overlap between, organisational and inter-personal, as well as intrapersonal factors. Such an approach is particularly important in the context of the implementation and delivery of methadone programmes in low/middle income countries, where the lack of resources is so significant.
Practical implications
Three main strategies for improvement were suggested as follows: the development of comprehensive education and training programmes for prisoners and all prison staff; the re-assessment of practices relating to the delivery of methadone, and a comprehensive review of harm reduction strategy in prisons, that should consider the role of prisoners’ families to increase support for prisoner participation; the re-assessment of prison policies to support the delivery of methadone programmes in prisons.
Social implications
The author suggests that ongoing international support and national drug policies are vital to the continuation and sustainability of methadone programmes in prisons.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the overall evidence base for OAT programmes in middle-income prison contexts.
Details
Keywords
Alexander Weiss and Sally Freels
Reports on a field experiment in Dayton, Ohio, where the police department has no specialized traffic division, hence traffic enforcement is part of the routine assignment. Aims…
Abstract
Reports on a field experiment in Dayton, Ohio, where the police department has no specialized traffic division, hence traffic enforcement is part of the routine assignment. Aims to measure the effects of traffic law enforcement on crime, arrests and traffic accidents. Presents data covering all index arrests and special arrests involving weapons, drugs and offenders driving under influence, plus all reported traffic accidents. Contrary to other research, fails to detect a relationship between traffic enforcement and crime. Investigates possible reasons for this.
Details
Keywords
Wilson K.S. Leung, Sally P.M. Law, Man Lai Cheung, Man Kit Chang, Chung-Yin Lai and Na Liu
There are two main objectives in this study. First, we aim to develop a set of constructs for health task management support (HTMS) features to evaluate which health-related tasks…
Abstract
Purpose
There are two main objectives in this study. First, we aim to develop a set of constructs for health task management support (HTMS) features to evaluate which health-related tasks are supported by mobile health application (mHealth app) functions. Second, drawing on innovation resistance theory (IRT), we examine the impacts of the newly developed HTMS dimensions on perceived usefulness, alongside other barrier factors contributing to technology anxiety.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a mixed-method research design, this research seeks to develop new measurement scales that reflect how mHealth apps support older adults’ health-related needs based on interviews. Subsequently, data were collected from older adults and exploratory factor analysis was used to confirm the validity of the new scales. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze survey data from 602 older adults.
Findings
The PLS-SEM results indicated that medical management task support, dietary task support, and exercise task support were positively associated with perceived usefulness, while perceived complexity and dispositional resistance to change were identified as antecedents of technology anxiety. Perceived usefulness and technology anxiety were found to positively and negatively influence adoption intention, respectively.
Originality/value
This study enriches the information systems literature by developing a multidimensional construct that delineates how older adults’ health-related needs can be supported by features of mHealth apps. Drawing on IRT, we complement the existing literature on resistance to innovation by systematically examining the impact of five types of barriers on technology anxiety.
Details
Keywords
Sally Raouf Ragheb Garas, Amira Fouad Ahmed Mahran and Hassan Mohamed Hussein Mohamed
This paper aims to study the effect of internal branding on brand supporting behaviour (in-role and extra-role) of bank employees in Egypt. It proposes a model which examines the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the effect of internal branding on brand supporting behaviour (in-role and extra-role) of bank employees in Egypt. It proposes a model which examines the relationship between internal branding and employees’ brand supporting behavior, mediated by employees’ role clarity, affective commitment and continuance commitment, to provide insights into the way in which employees can become brand champions.
Design/methodology/approach
A single cross-sectional descriptive research was employed. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 400 frontline bank employees. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the validity of the scales, and structural equation modelling was used to test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The results showed that internal branding did not have a direct significant impact on employees’ in-role and extra-role behaviour. However, that impact only took place through employees’ role clarity and their affective commitment.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that banks can differentiate their offers and build powerful corporate brands through their employees’ brand supporting behaviour. Therefore, bank managers need to consider internal branding within the context of a corporate marketing orientation. Moreover, enhancing employees’ role clarity and affective commitment will ensure sustainable brand supporting behaviour.
Originality/value
This research is the first quantitative study to examine the impact of role clarity and continuance commitment as possible mediators to the proposed relationship. It further adds up to the internal branding literature, which is mostly qualitative or conceptual and thus suffers from limited conclusive evidence in terms of internal branding benefits and practical implications.