Martha Givaudan, Marco Barriga, Jacquelyn Kercheval and Susan Pick
The purpose of this paper is to present a sustainable, community-based action model to improve the care and protection of children between the ages of zero and eight years who…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a sustainable, community-based action model to improve the care and protection of children between the ages of zero and eight years who have been left behind due to migration. One facet of the program is to train community leaders to teach an experiential program to facilitate and increase the likelihood of the development of life habits in children, caretakers, teachers, mothers, and fathers that will improve the caretaker-infant relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
Community leaders were evaluated via a pre-training questionnaire and a post-training questionnaire.
Findings
The evaluation of the training of the community leaders revealed the following statistically significant results: an increase in the level of a number of life habits, which include self-awareness, management of emotions, empathy, assertive communication, decision-making, critical thinking, conflict negotiation and resolution, and teamwork; a reduction in the degree to which psychosocial barriers hinder personal development; an increase in the level of autonomy and self-efficacy; an increase in the level of knowledge that participants have about the topics of the workshops: child development, child-rearing and academic potential, as well as migration; and positive changes in the attitudes that they have regarding certain topics related to child development.
Originality/value
The program was conducted in Hidalgo, Mexico, a state whose high rates of migration put the children at greater risk for developmental delays if they lack adult support.
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Susan Pick, Ulises Xocolotzin and Carolina Ruesga
The purpose of this research is to examine which competencies have to be addressed in individual training programs that can help government officials to implement decentralisation…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to examine which competencies have to be addressed in individual training programs that can help government officials to implement decentralisation policies in Mexico. The paper is based on a psychosocial approach to training seeking to enhance knowledge and skills.
Design/methodology/approach
An extensive structured interview was held with a sample of 75 municipality and state officials, to survey the needs and difficulties experienced by officials in the realization of decentralization measures.
Findings
Results show lack of competencies and agency among the officials in various respects, such as fear of decision making and low self confiidence.
Research limitations/implications
The analysis is based on the perceptions and views of the participants. Further steps will be needed to develop and test an actual training program.
Practical implications
Lack of success of decentralisation is in part attributable to lack of relevant social competencies among officials. This can be addressed by training programs.
Originality/value
The article advocates a capacity building approach that addresses the individual as well as the institutional and policy environment. It focuses on specific beliefs, knowledge, attitudes and skills that enable kinds of behavior changes likely to facilitate decentralization. When individuals develop psychosocial skills, their competency to take initiative, and to confidently and responsibly deal with difficult situations (i.e. agency) is enhanced.
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G. Tomas M. Hult and Bryan A. Lukas
The diversity of the health care sector makes it difficult to comeup with managerially useful generalizations concerning marketingpractice in health care organizations. Develops…
Abstract
The diversity of the health care sector makes it difficult to come up with managerially useful generalizations concerning marketing practice in health care organizations. Develops specific categories of health care offerings and proposes a two‐by‐two matrix for classifying health care offerings based on customer participation and complexity of the health care offering. In each quadrant, offers strategic marketing insights into how the nature of the health care offering might affect the marketing task. Uses network theory as the guiding framework in constructing the health care classification schema.
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Gossip is part of everyday life and can play an important role in society. It has been part of human communication since we started to talk and is common to communities around the…
Abstract
Gossip is part of everyday life and can play an important role in society. It has been part of human communication since we started to talk and is common to communities around the world. Evidence of gossip adorned the walls of ancient tombs in Egypt, and advice against gossiping can be found in the words of King Solomon in the Old Testament, in the theses of Greek philosophers, and in proverbs from all cultures. Yet gossip continues to be all around us, and most of our conversation time involves some form of it. Despite this, those who initiate gossip are often derided for being gossip mongers, and not without good reason. At its worst, gossip can destroy reputations and businesses, be used as a form of bullying, and cause a great deal of distress. In this chapter, however, I focus on why and how gossip is used and the purpose it serves in village life. Ambridge resident Susan Carter is a renowned gossip with high, unsubtle output compared to other villagers. I look at Susan's gossiping at both a psychosocial level and in terms of benefits she may gain. I also discuss gossip at the village level from two perspectives. I explore the importance of gossip to village life based upon peer reviewed literature, and relate these findings to the comings and goings of the residents of Ambridge. I then also look at how gossip is needed to relay storylines to the listeners. Finally, social media has helped to bring together Archers fans who like nothing more than to spend hours gossiping about their favourite villagers and berating Susan for her tittle-tattle. Yet The Archers wouldn't exist without gossip, so maybe we should be grateful to Susan and carry on gossiping.
Fran Piezzo, Barry Armandi and Herbert Sherman
An employee&s husband made violent threats to the store manager of a Las Vegas shop specializing in skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products of an international…
Abstract
An employee&s husband made violent threats to the store manager of a Las Vegas shop specializing in skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products of an international company. The manager wanted the employee terminated. The employee confessed that her husband also threatened her. The employee's personnel file contained no performance problems, but the store manager admitted that she had kept a separate file with such documentation. The Executive Director and the Director of Human Resource Management wondered what they should do.
Higher Education (HE) is spinning. The systematic erosion of our academic freedom, (Docherty, 2012) means that the authors of this chapter no longer know how to navigate what is…
Abstract
Higher Education (HE) is spinning. The systematic erosion of our academic freedom, (Docherty, 2012) means that the authors of this chapter no longer know how to navigate what is on the horizon. The neoliberal agenda now driving HE is threatening how we work via, ‘a quiet ruination and decay of academic freedom’ (Docherty, 2012, p. 47). This chapter offers an autoethnography of a collaborative creative project that engaged the authors in dialogues about the effects of neoliberalism on how they teach, work, live and where they compare working in HE to hula-hooping as both demand relentless movement and activity to prevent everything from collapsing. Our story offers ideas for valuing time and space in our academic lives that are playful, creative, bonding, and suggest that by mastering hula-hooping, we have enjoyed a renewed sense of confidence with academic work and academic life.
We employ a range of styles of writing that seek to engage the reader with reflection on their own experiences. Guiding questions for any reader might be, but are by no means restricted to:
What are the effects of neoliberalism on how we work?
How much time do we give for creative play and risk-taking?
What creative methods can we adopt and develop in order to preserve our academic freedom?
How can we navigate the HE landscape effectively without succumbing to neoliberal pressures and shifts?
How can we value human experiences in academic work and in academic life?
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The purpose of this editorial is to present a series of articles in this special invited issue that celebrate Joan Acker's theories of gendered organisations.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this editorial is to present a series of articles in this special invited issue that celebrate Joan Acker's theories of gendered organisations.
Design/methodology/approach
This editorial presents articles that utilise Joan Acker's notions of gendered organisations, the gender subtext in organisations, the ideal worker, and inequality regimes to help explain gender discrimination in organisation. It is a celebration of Joan's theorising in relation to this topic and also includes Joan's own thinking about the development of her ideas as theorised by the authors in different organisational and empirical contexts.
Findings
The paper reveals that the articles illustrate the value of Acker's original thinking, how the original concepts have evolved to theorise and explain the intersectionality of current discriminatory practices.
Originality/value
This paper presents a celebration of Joan Acker's work and an introduction to the special issue.
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A proper noun entry is an index entry for the name of a particular person, place, or thing. While this type of entry is comparatively easy for humans to recognize, it is difficult…
Abstract
A proper noun entry is an index entry for the name of a particular person, place, or thing. While this type of entry is comparatively easy for humans to recognize, it is difficult to define for the purposes of computer processing. The kind and number of proper nouns which appear in a text vary to some extent with the subject matter. The ratio of proper nouns to all other text words may be higher in such subject areas as history and literature than it is, for example, in the sciences. However, in many instances proper nouns constitute a high proportion of index entries in the sciences.
Beck discusses the need to improve library and information services for the deaf community. The technological support available to libraries to serve the deaf is identified and…
Abstract
Beck discusses the need to improve library and information services for the deaf community. The technological support available to libraries to serve the deaf is identified and described. Turnkey systems are found to be lacking in applications devoted to those who cannot hear or who are hard of hearing. Other technologies, like captioned videos, TDDs, and assistive listening systems, are examined for levels of service and excellence as well as cost. Examples of technology in transition and for the future are offered, along with experiments on speech and sound. These include inner ear implants, the “data glove” experiments, and tactile translators. Technological conflicts that may arise due to one person having multiple disabilities are presented with a discussion on the prevention of dangerous or difficult situations. Possible difficulties and ways to handle opposing technologies are examined briefly. Appropriate sections of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Guidelines are grouped with the technologies that aid compliance. Additional laws are mentioned where their inclusion is appropriate. Suggested guidelines for serving the deaf/disabled community are offered for librarians working in all library types.