Alistair Gibb, Sophie Hide, Roger Haslam, Diane Gyi, Trevor Pavitt, Sarah Atkinson and Roy Duff
This paper presents tools and equipment aspects of the results from a three‐year United Kingdom Government funded research project investigating accident causality (ConCA). The…
Abstract
This paper presents tools and equipment aspects of the results from a three‐year United Kingdom Government funded research project investigating accident causality (ConCA). The project has used focus groups and studied in detail 100 construction accidents site audits, interviews with involved persons and follow‐up along the causal chain. This paper concentrates on the influence of construction tools and equipment which were found to be important contributory factors identified by the research. They have largely been overlooked by previous studies and are not typically acknowledged as accident contributors. This paper argues for further work to confirm these links and for the inclusion of tools and equipment in the list of categories in statutory reporting procedures. This would also require an increased acknowledgement by construction managers of their influence, leading to better design and management of their supply and care on site.
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Lynn M. Jeffrey, Sophie Hide and Stephen Legg
This paper aims to report on the second half of a two‐part study that identified relevant content for safety audit training in small businesses. The specific aim of the paper is…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to report on the second half of a two‐part study that identified relevant content for safety audit training in small businesses. The specific aim of the paper is to determine the preferred learning styles and approaches of managers in these businesses in order to identify some principles which could be used to tailor training to meet their particular learning needs.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants in the study came from three relatively high‐risk industries – road transport, construction, and the motor trade – producing a sample size of 102. A self‐report questionnaire was distributed via trade magazines.
Findings
Very few differences were found between the three industries. Most differences were between road transport and the other two industries. Managers in the road transport industry have a lower preference for learning by listening and are less likely to be sequential learners than managers in the motor trade industry.
Practical implications
Small business managers are systematic, hard‐working, pragmatic and prefer less formal modes of learning. These characteristics have implications for the structure and context of training programmes and the nature of the training materials.
Originality/value
The four learning profiles that emerged from the analysis in the paper provide a clear picture of the small business managers in the three industries studied.
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This paper explores the practice experience and dilemmas of being a social worker in a case management role. It draws on a case study taken from actual practice to highlight how…
Abstract
This paper explores the practice experience and dilemmas of being a social worker in a case management role. It draws on a case study taken from actual practice to highlight how social workers' training places them in an ideal position to smoothly manage the transitions that individuals and their families face. Permission of those involved has been sought and given, although names have been changed to protect confidentiality.The paper highlights how the fact that brain injury can be a ‘hidden disability’ can mean that its effects on both survivor and carers may be understated, with a consequent inadequate allocation of service provision and support.Support for those with brain injuries often comes from more than one statutory organisation and the challenges of managing and co‐ordinating this across organisational boundaries are discussed.
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Sophie Moore, Rebecca Wotus, Alyson Norman, Mark Holloway and Jackie Dean
Brain Injury Case Managers (BICMs) work closely with individuals with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), assessing needs, structuring rehabilitation interventions and providing support…
Abstract
Purpose
Brain Injury Case Managers (BICMs) work closely with individuals with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), assessing needs, structuring rehabilitation interventions and providing support, and have significant experience of clients with impairments to decision making. The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and its guidance when applied to ABI survivors. This research aimed to: first, highlight potential conflicts or tensions that application of the MCA might pose, and second, identify approaches to mitigate the problems of the MCA and capacity assessments with ABI survivors. It is hoped that this will support improvements in the services offered.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a mixed method approach, 93 BICMs responded to an online questionnaire about decision making following ABI. Of these, 12 BICMs agreed to take part in a follow-up semi-structured telephone interview.
Findings
The data revealed four main themes: disagreements with other professionals, hidden disabilities, vulnerability in the community and implementation of the MCA and capacity assessments.
Practical implications
The findings highlight the need for changes to the way mental capacity assessments are conducted and the need for training for professionals in the hidden effects of ABI.
Originality/value
Limited research exists on potential limitations of the application of the MCA for individuals with an ABI. This paper provides much needed research on the difficulties surrounding mental capacity and ABI.
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Sarah Dodds and Nitha Palakshappa
The purpose of this research is to explore the role of identity for consumers with disabilities in a retail context. Understanding disability identity is critical to ensuring…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to explore the role of identity for consumers with disabilities in a retail context. Understanding disability identity is critical to ensuring inclusion in service environments. Despite the growing call to understand the role of identity in consumer services, research on disability identity and the impacts of identity on service inclusion remains minimal.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative methodology generated data through personal narratives from people with disabilities revealing deep insights into the complexity of identity in a fashion retail context.
Findings
Emergent themes detail five consumer disability identities – authentic unique self, integrated self, community self, expressive self and practical self – seen when viewing service experiences from the perspective of people with lived experience of disability. Individual and collective agency also emerged as key themes that enable people with disabilities to feel a sense of inclusion.
Originality/value
This research explores the service experiences of people with disabilities in a retail context through a disability identity lens. The authors contribute to service literature by identifying five consumer disability identities that people with a disability adopt through their service experience and present a typology that demonstrates how each identity impacts on agency, with implications for service inclusion.
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Sophie Hennekam, Sarah Richard and François Grima
This exploratory qualitative study examines both the impact of mental health conditions on self-perceived job performance and how individuals with mental health conditions cope…
Abstract
Purpose
This exploratory qualitative study examines both the impact of mental health conditions on self-perceived job performance and how individuals with mental health conditions cope with their conditions at work.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 257 responses to a qualitative questionnaire and 17 in-depth interviews with individuals with mental health conditions are analyzed.
Findings
The findings show that mental health conditions can negatively impact self-perceived job performance in the form of lower quality of one's work, slower pace, and more mistakes. In addition, the findings reveal coping strategies that positively and negatively affect one’s performance at work. Strategies that negatively influence one’s performance include substance abuse and self-harm, suppressing and hiding one's symptoms, and forcing oneself to continue to work when feeling unwell. Coping strategies that tend to positively affect their performance include accepting one's condition and taking time off, medication and counseling, mindfulness activities, transparent communication, humor, and a compensation strategy.
Originality/value
A growing number of individuals struggle with mental health conditions at work, impacting both organizations and employees. However, little is known about the influence of mental health conditions on one's performance at work, how individuals cope with their mental health conditions at work, and what effect those coping strategies have on organization-relevant outcomes.
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Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) employees constitute one of the largest, but least studied, minority groups in the workforce. This article examines what we know, and what we need…
Abstract
Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) employees constitute one of the largest, but least studied, minority groups in the workforce. This article examines what we know, and what we need to know, about the career and workplace experiences of this understudied population. The construct of sexual identity is defined, followed by a review of the research on sexual orientation in the workplace. Then an analysis of the differences between LGB employees and other stigmatized groups is presented. Three unique challenges facing LGB employees are identified, and conceptual models are developed that explain underlying processes. Finally, career theories are critically analyzed, and an identity-based longitudinal theory of LGB careers is presented.