This document discusses the experiences of human service managers in contexts of change and uncertainty. It describes how human service organizations have had to adopt business practices like those promoted by new public management as funding models have changed. The document reports on a study that examined what business, management, and finance skills managers felt were relevant for leading human service organizations. It found that managers need advanced skills in these areas to deal with the contemporary competitive environment. However, integrating business skills while maintaining social work values can be challenging for managers with clinical backgrounds.
Managing diversity becomes one of the most important factors in ensuring company competitiveness. This paper explores the theory about diversity management and compares it with the practices in organizations and then examines the organizations’ diversity programs through their employees’ perceptions. The findings illustrate that there is a gap between managing diversity theories and practices in organizations and some barriers in implementing divManaging diversity becomes one of the most important factors in ensuring company competitiveness. This paper explores the theory about diversity management and compares it with the practices in organizations and then examines the organizations’ diversity programs through their employees’ perceptions. The findings illustrate that there is a gap between managing diversity theories and practices in organizations and some barriers in implementing diversity program, especially in the hospitality industry.ersity program, especially in the hospitality industry.
To stay or not to stay can organizational culture provide the staying powerAlexander Decker
This study investigated the influence of organizational culture on employee retention in the Ghanaian banking sector. A survey was administered to 301 employees from 4 banks. The study found that organizational culture significantly predicted employee retention, with innovative culture accounting for the greatest variance. Community and bureaucratic cultures also significantly predicted retention, while competitive culture did not. The findings suggest that cultures emphasizing innovation, community, and bureaucracy best promote employee retention in Ghanaian banks.
This document summarizes a research study on the impact of social capital (networks and relationships) on the retention of mature-aged nurses in hospital settings. The study aims to investigate how existing social capital in the workplace contributes to nurses' intentions to stay. It examines whether this effect differs based on sociability levels or partner status. The theoretical framework is based on social capital theory and social exchange theory. The study seeks to fill gaps in understanding how social capital benefits affective commitment and retention, which have been less explored. The expected outcomes are contributions to theory and practical insights on retaining older nurses.
Formation of organizational citizenship behaviors in students employed in uni...AlFajrQuraan
This document summarizes a study that examined how manager and coworker behaviors influence the development of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) in student employees of university dining services. The study found that managers and coworkers demonstrating OCBs towards individuals was positively related to students also exhibiting individual-oriented OCBs. It also found that certain transformational leadership behaviors by managers indirectly led to students demonstrating organization-oriented OCBs. Additionally, there was a weak but significant negative relationship between students' OCBs and their intent to leave their job.
The document discusses diversity in organizations and whether diversity means treating all people the same. It presents arguments on both sides of the issue. Proponents argue that embracing diversity through practices like training, strategic planning and performance management allows organizations to benefit from different talents and backgrounds. However, opponents note diversity efforts may face resistance from employees and disrupt workplace culture. The document concludes that while diversity is beneficial, organizations should ensure merit-based hiring and address any resistance to make diversity initiatives successful.
Managing diversity becomes one of the most important factors in ensuring company competitiveness. This paper explores the theory about diversity management and compares it with the practices in organizations and then examines the organizations’ diversity programs through their employees’ perceptions. The findings illustrate that there is a gap between managing diversity theories and practices in organizations and some barriers in implementing divManaging diversity becomes one of the most important factors in ensuring company competitiveness. This paper explores the theory about diversity management and compares it with the practices in organizations and then examines the organizations’ diversity programs through their employees’ perceptions. The findings illustrate that there is a gap between managing diversity theories and practices in organizations and some barriers in implementing diversity program, especially in the hospitality industry.ersity program, especially in the hospitality industry.
To stay or not to stay can organizational culture provide the staying powerAlexander Decker
This study investigated the influence of organizational culture on employee retention in the Ghanaian banking sector. A survey was administered to 301 employees from 4 banks. The study found that organizational culture significantly predicted employee retention, with innovative culture accounting for the greatest variance. Community and bureaucratic cultures also significantly predicted retention, while competitive culture did not. The findings suggest that cultures emphasizing innovation, community, and bureaucracy best promote employee retention in Ghanaian banks.
This document summarizes a research study on the impact of social capital (networks and relationships) on the retention of mature-aged nurses in hospital settings. The study aims to investigate how existing social capital in the workplace contributes to nurses' intentions to stay. It examines whether this effect differs based on sociability levels or partner status. The theoretical framework is based on social capital theory and social exchange theory. The study seeks to fill gaps in understanding how social capital benefits affective commitment and retention, which have been less explored. The expected outcomes are contributions to theory and practical insights on retaining older nurses.
Formation of organizational citizenship behaviors in students employed in uni...AlFajrQuraan
This document summarizes a study that examined how manager and coworker behaviors influence the development of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) in student employees of university dining services. The study found that managers and coworkers demonstrating OCBs towards individuals was positively related to students also exhibiting individual-oriented OCBs. It also found that certain transformational leadership behaviors by managers indirectly led to students demonstrating organization-oriented OCBs. Additionally, there was a weak but significant negative relationship between students' OCBs and their intent to leave their job.
The document discusses diversity in organizations and whether diversity means treating all people the same. It presents arguments on both sides of the issue. Proponents argue that embracing diversity through practices like training, strategic planning and performance management allows organizations to benefit from different talents and backgrounds. However, opponents note diversity efforts may face resistance from employees and disrupt workplace culture. The document concludes that while diversity is beneficial, organizations should ensure merit-based hiring and address any resistance to make diversity initiatives successful.
This study investigated the relationship between decision making and staff commitment at the School of Finance and Banking in Kigali, Rwanda. A survey of 78 staff found a weak but significant positive correlation between participatory decision making and staff commitment. When employees are involved in the decision making process, they are more likely to be committed to the organization. The study aimed to address the gap in understanding how leadership practices like participatory decision making influence staff commitment levels at the school.
This document summarizes a study that examined the relationship between ethical practices of teams and completion of projects at Kenya Power in Kisumu County, Kenya. The study found that there is a relationship between ethical practices of teams and completion of projects. Specifically, it found that for projects to be completed on time, teams need to be accountable for their actions, diverse and recruit skilled members, distribute resources equitably, and hire professionally trained persons to raise quality standards. The study utilized a sample of 60 employees from Kenya Power to examine how factors like accountability, diversity, equity and professionalism related to timely project completion. It found that top managers seldom demonstrated high ethics, while junior employees and supervisors were generally accountable, but middle managers less so
This document discusses competency as a potential factor in workplace bullying. It begins by providing background on workplace bullying, defining it as abuse of power that can be costly to organizations. It then discusses competency and how an individual's perceived competency may determine their reaction to bullying. Specifically, the authors develop a framework where a victim's self-perception of competency has a strong mediating relationship with outcomes of bullying behaviors. They believe examining this link between competency and bullying could provide insights, and future research should empirically test this relationship. Managers should also be aware of how allowing employee development could help reduce instances of bullying.
The document discusses individualization of work in the information technology (IT) industry and its impact on job satisfaction of IT employees in India. It first provides background on the growth of the IT industry in India and issues of low job satisfaction and high attrition rates among employees. It then discusses theories of individualization and how work in the IT industry exhibits characteristics of individualized work like individual targets and flexibility. Finally, it suggests that individualization of work may help explain some aspects of low job satisfaction in the IT industry despite higher salaries.
Literature review on youth leadership samplecocolatto
This document summarizes literature on facilitating professional leadership development in youth organizations, using Victoria University's Students Association (VUWSA) as a case study. It explores how professional leadership development concepts from workplace settings can be adapted for youth organizations. While leadership is often learned through experience, youth organizations face challenges in providing long-term leadership opportunities due to short leadership cycles. The document argues professional leadership development is possible in youth organizations and recommends VUWSA focus on staff leadership skills rather than just technical skills.
Gender diversity on corporate boards a case of indiaIAEME Publication
The document summarizes a study examining gender diversity on the boards of 185 companies listed on India's BSE500 index over six years. Some key findings include:
- On average, 40% of companies had at least one woman on their board, but women accounted for only 5% of total directorships on average.
- The study estimated a 30% increase in women on boards in the next five years and a 61% increase over ten years based on current trends.
- Women held few board or committee chair/membership positions, suggesting they may be token representatives without real influence.
Research in Management Accounting (Pesquisa em contabilidade gerencial)Felipe Pontes
Palestra realizada na UFPB sobre pesquisa em contabilidade gerencial.
A palestra foi dividida em duas partes. Na primeira, a Professora Kate Horton apresentou o seu artigo e na segunda ela falou sobre o processo de publicação deste artigo.
This document outlines the emerging discipline of service science, management, engineering, and design (SSMED). It discusses how the growth of the global service economy has led to a dramatic increase in specialized service systems and interactions. However, surprisingly few university students study services or service systems. The document presents some of the key foundations of SSMED as a new interdisciplinary field aimed at understanding and innovating service systems. It explores theoretical concepts around the growth of services and value co-creation. It also discusses how SSMED relates to and can integrate multiple existing academic disciplines and professions.
This document summarizes a study that investigated the relationship between Hofstede's five dimensions of national culture and commitment to organizational change, with readiness for change as a potential mediating factor. The study used surveys to collect data from over 1,000 Qatari public employees on national culture, commitment to change, and readiness for change. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and test the hypothesized relationships between the variables. The preliminary results found poor model fit, suggesting the model may need modification by removing survey items with low factor loadings to improve fit. In summary, the study examined how national cultural dimensions relate to commitment to organizational change both directly and indirectly through readiness for change.
This document summarizes a study that investigated the relationship between delegation of authority and staff commitment at the School of Finance and Banking in Kigali, Rwanda. A survey of 78 staff members found a weak but significant positive correlation between the two variables. This implies that higher levels of delegated authority are linked to increased levels of staff commitment. The study aimed to address gaps in understanding the factors influencing previously reported low levels of commitment among staff at the school.
This paper analyzes dialogs and debates within the NGO CARE India regarding understandings of gender justice in the context of a girls' education project. Through analyzing stories shared by CARE India staff during gender training sessions and other forums, the paper finds that staff members' understandings of gender justice are shaped by their differing experiences and positions within the field, organization, and domestic spaces. While these dialogs included voices from diverse social actors to identify capabilities needed for gender justice in education, the voices were often mediated and reframed by local NGO actors. The paper uses this analysis to argue that gender mainstreaming should be viewed as a process that produces contextual and contested understandings, rather than being seen solely as failure when
This paper reveals the relationship of FTSE board and environment policy of t...Service_supportAssignment
This paper reveals the relationship of FTSE board and environment policy of their companies listed. According to Lovell and Liverman (2010) suggested that they are inspired in their reassessment of carbon trading procedures due to the lack of some world class standards and Also it is similarly deregulated by the deficiency of broadly recruited international standards or policy for intentional carbon reporting of carbon emission. Consolidating the analysis in regard to the investors’ wants for data has permitted the researchers for well understanding the various methods to evaluate the procedures that are used to develop the emission of carbon reports, and also hoping that the social world of monetary services mediators, controller and carbon consultancie
International Journal of Business and Management Invention (IJBMI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Business and Management. IJBMI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Business and Management, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online.
Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 1
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 9
Annotated Bibliography
08/31/2016
Topic: Challenges Facing Human Services Organizations
Almog-Bar, M., & Schmid, H. (2013). Advocacy activities of nonprofit human service organizations: A critical review. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 0899764013483212
The article begins by explaining that policy advocacy is a feature that is usually used by human services organizations in representation of their constituencies. The literature review in the article focusses on the research that has been done in the last ten years about policy advocacy in human services organizations particularly the non-profits. There is also an elaboration of the contributions and characteristics of policy advocacy in relevance to human services organizations. The major topics that are addressed in the review are; the definition and how the term policy advocacy originated, the current issues that have been studied on the topic, current prevalence and situation on advocacy activities of human services organizations, structural and organizational variables related to policy advocacy. The other aspect that is highlighted by the article and it affects most of human services organizations is that on policy advocacy and dependence on external funding. The article is important for my research topic as it gives a deep insight on one of the challenges facing human services agencies.
Brown, W. A., Andersson, F. O., & Jo, S. (2015). Dimensions of Capacity in Nonprofit Human Service Organizations. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 1-24.
This is a quantitative study that was done by conducting interviews in order to identify the dimensions used in determining the capacity of human services agencies. The objective of this paper is to give a presentation and develop a better understanding on the capacity of human services organizations. The article adopts resource-based perspective on the organization which appreciates that capabilities and attributes of the organization determine and promotes performance. Data collection was done by conducting interviews among 66 executives in human services organizations that were moderate sized in which there was discussion of factors influencing performance. The finding elaborated in the article is that social, human and financial capital all contribute to the performance of the organization. From the executives who were interviewed, it was apparent that the quality of those people who are associated with the agency including board of directors impact on the performance. The article is a good source for the research paper as it identifies challenges affecting perfo ...
Running Head: RESEARCH TOPIC 1
RESEARCH TOPIC 3
Lilisbet Alonso
Florida National University
Nursing Research
Prof: Claudia Davis PhD, RN-BC
May 12, 2020
RESEARCH TOPIC
Family nurse practitioners are much more interested in improving the general quality of nursing care and services delivery to the patients. I believe that family nursing practitioner profession is very vital in improving the quality of care by serving a very unique function in the medical care system. This is through the development of lasting relationships with patients and viewing the success of patients within the greater family and community framework.
My research topic of interest is Obesity and Weight Management Programs. The reason why I choose doing this research is due to the day by day increasing mortality rates and considerable morbidity that are linked with obesity due to the impact that it has on other conditions such as type 2 diabetes, reproductive diseases, cancer as well as gastrointestinal diseases. (Tappen, 2016). Obese individuals face a incessant, enduring struggle. This makes obesity to be one of the most prevalent diet-related health problems globally and more so in the United States. It places a significant burden on healthcare systems. There is, therefore, the importance of research to better understand the problem and how it can be maintained.
According to Lean, et al., (2018) there was a projection by the government that by the turn of 21st century, less than of 20% of adults aged 20 years and above and no more than 15% of adolescents aged 12 and above should not be overweight. This goal has not been achieved; rather, the United States is moving father rather than closer to the goal. The prevalence of overweight and obesity continues to rise and not falling.
References
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXvoKE6_wQo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw8HPXJP1VA
Lean, M. E., Astrup, A., & Roberts, S. B. (2018). Making progress on the global crisis of obesity and weight management. bmj, 361, k2538.
Tappen, R. M. (2016). Advanced nursing research: From theory to practice. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=DnyUCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&dq=Tappen,+R.M.+(2015).+Nursing+Research.+Advanced+Nursing+Research:+From+Theory+to+Practice.+(2nd+ed.).+Jones+%26+Bartlett+Learning.&ots=NMrFQlcuEw&sig=BcD9_wBWYoJnfY9u6duh8Qvt5TE&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
NORMAN, ELTON_DIS9902A-12-1 1
LAST, FIRST DIS9902A-12-4 1
Gender Diversity and Job Performance in the Banking Industry
Chapter 2
Student Name
Professor Name
14 May 2020
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Patterns of Gender Diversity 6
Senior Management 7
Importance of Diverse Board 8
Theoretical Background 8
Agency Theory.
Does diversity matter- exploring workforce diversity, diversitymanagement, an...drkhaledshukran
This article examines workforce diversity, diversity management, and organizational performance in social enterprises. It conducted interviews with 14 individuals from social enterprises in Los Angeles, including top managers and regular employees. The study found high levels of diversity in gender, race, education and sexual orientation but low diversity in age and values. Workforce diversity and diversity management were seen as positively impacting performance. However, while diversity management was considered important, it was not widely implemented. The study provides insights into how diversity and diversity management can support sustainability in social enterprises.
13 hours ago
Tami Frazier
Week 11 Initial Discussion Post
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
NURS 6052 – Essentials of Evidence-Based Practice
Week 11 Initial Post
Creating a Culture of Evidence-Based Practice
Evidence-based practice (EBP) in its most simplistic form is using the evidence, whether from clinical experiences or patient preferences, to make decisions that affect patient care positively (Polit & Beck, 2017). Evidence-based practice is essential for determining changes in practice that are needed to protect and provide safe care for patients. Nurses are the front-line of the healthcare system and are able to recognize and change policies and procedures. Therefore, nurses are responsible for sharing with their peers and co-workers the information obtained from their evidence-based research.
In order to make evidence-based changes, a dissemination plan needs to be in place. In our facility, our evidence-based practice nurse committee is responsible for teaching the staff on changes in practice. Once they have decided on the changes they present the information to the Emergency Department leadership. From there the changes are reported to the nursing staff through department meetings, bulletin boards, and online learning modules. This is based on the ACE Star Model of Knowledge Transformation which seeks to take research findings and use them to impact patient outcomes by using evidence-based care (Polit & Beck, 2017).
“Often in the dissemination phase, there are considerable barriers that exist. These barriers consist of prejudice toward findings, lack of approval from leadership, nurses attitudes, and the resources needed to make changes. Moore & Tierney (2019) found,
“an overarching theme of disconnection between research and evidence and the participants’ perceptions of contemporary nursing practice was underpinned by three themes:
1) We should be using it… but we’re not.
2) Employees suggested that research involvement was something left after graduation and no longer part of their day-to-day roles.
3) Research is other people’s business (p. 90).
In another report, it was suggested that evidence-based practice is challenging for nurses because of the pressures of a patient satisfaction culture and time constraints when caring for patients (Henderson & Fletcher, 2015). These barriers can only be overcome if nursing leadership has the courage to address them and help nurses see the positive benefits of evidence-based practice.
A culture of change is vital to making a significant improvement in the lives of patients. At this time nursing researchers are limited by a non-existent research culture leaving them nurses with the responsibility to develop that culture (Berthelsen & Holge-Hazelton, 2018). Creating an awareness of the research that is taking place by their peers removes the barriers of feeling not competent to participate. As nursing leadership, our role is to build a culture that creates curiosity and critical reflection ab.
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QUESTTON 1 25 points Save Answer
Describe the similarities and differences that exist between inpatient healthcare facilities and outpatient
healthcare facilities. Give three examples of inpatient fucilities and three examples of outpatient facilities. Be
sure to include information about the seryices each facility named provides.
Your response must be at least 200 words in length.
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QUESTTON 2 25 poinb Save Ansarer
Discuss the usage of data in health care today. As a heatthcare administrator, hcniv would you make the best
use of data that you have coiiected? Be sure to consider nationai data, state data, and facitrty clata rn your
answer.
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Discuss how expanded life spans and the new opportunities people have to obtain preventive health
screenings as a result of the Affordable Care Act have affected hcnar ofien peopte utilize healthcare services.
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You are the administrator of a 250-bed hospital in the Midwest. A recent report from your county tells you that
the population within a 2S-mile radius of your facility is getting younger. The median age has decreased from
35 years of age to 29 years of age, whlch is related to the opening of a new college campus. How will this
transition to a younger patient poputation afrect your facility? Are there services in your facility that may need to
be expanded? Are there services in your facility that many need to be reduced or eliminated? How might these
changes impact staffing for your facility?
Your response must be at leasi 200 words in length.
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https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=whrh20
Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism
ISSN: 1533-2845 (Print) 1533-2853 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/whrh20
How do changes in human resource management
practices influence employee engagement?
A longitudinal study in a hotel chain in the
Philippines
Alfred Presbitero
To cite this article: Alfred Presbitero (2017) How do changes in human resource management
practices influence employee engagement? A longitudinal study in a hotel chain in the
Philippines, Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 16:1, 56-70, DOI:
10.1080/15332845.2016.1202061
To l ...
University of New England's Center for Excellence in Interprofessional Education Director Shelley Cohen Konrad presents at the annual meeting of The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), a nonprofit national association representing more than 2,500 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education.
This collaborative presentation is the work of
Barbara L. Jones, PhD, MSW, University of Texas at Austin
Shelley Cohen Konrad, PhD, LCSW, University of New England
Jayashree Nimmagadda, Ph.D., MSW., LICSW, Rhode Island College
Maureen Rubin, Ph.D., MSW, MA, University of Nevada, Reno
Anna M. Scheyett, PhD, MSW, LCSW, University of South Carolina
Job enrichment creating meaningful career developmentopport.docxchristiandean12115
This document summarizes a study that evaluated a career development policy in South Australia which provided senior registered nurses time away from clinical duties to undertake strategic projects. The policy aimed to enhance career opportunities and job satisfaction for experienced nurses. Interviews with 54 senior nurses found that the policy improved career structure and opportunities, developed new skills through projects, and provided a break from ward work while challenging nurses in new ways. The policy enhanced nurses' empowerment and commitment by increasing opportunities for growth, mobility, and meaningful career development even for those who wished to remain at the bedside.
This study investigated the relationship between decision making and staff commitment at the School of Finance and Banking in Kigali, Rwanda. A survey of 78 staff found a weak but significant positive correlation between participatory decision making and staff commitment. When employees are involved in the decision making process, they are more likely to be committed to the organization. The study aimed to address the gap in understanding how leadership practices like participatory decision making influence staff commitment levels at the school.
This document summarizes a study that examined the relationship between ethical practices of teams and completion of projects at Kenya Power in Kisumu County, Kenya. The study found that there is a relationship between ethical practices of teams and completion of projects. Specifically, it found that for projects to be completed on time, teams need to be accountable for their actions, diverse and recruit skilled members, distribute resources equitably, and hire professionally trained persons to raise quality standards. The study utilized a sample of 60 employees from Kenya Power to examine how factors like accountability, diversity, equity and professionalism related to timely project completion. It found that top managers seldom demonstrated high ethics, while junior employees and supervisors were generally accountable, but middle managers less so
This document discusses competency as a potential factor in workplace bullying. It begins by providing background on workplace bullying, defining it as abuse of power that can be costly to organizations. It then discusses competency and how an individual's perceived competency may determine their reaction to bullying. Specifically, the authors develop a framework where a victim's self-perception of competency has a strong mediating relationship with outcomes of bullying behaviors. They believe examining this link between competency and bullying could provide insights, and future research should empirically test this relationship. Managers should also be aware of how allowing employee development could help reduce instances of bullying.
The document discusses individualization of work in the information technology (IT) industry and its impact on job satisfaction of IT employees in India. It first provides background on the growth of the IT industry in India and issues of low job satisfaction and high attrition rates among employees. It then discusses theories of individualization and how work in the IT industry exhibits characteristics of individualized work like individual targets and flexibility. Finally, it suggests that individualization of work may help explain some aspects of low job satisfaction in the IT industry despite higher salaries.
Literature review on youth leadership samplecocolatto
This document summarizes literature on facilitating professional leadership development in youth organizations, using Victoria University's Students Association (VUWSA) as a case study. It explores how professional leadership development concepts from workplace settings can be adapted for youth organizations. While leadership is often learned through experience, youth organizations face challenges in providing long-term leadership opportunities due to short leadership cycles. The document argues professional leadership development is possible in youth organizations and recommends VUWSA focus on staff leadership skills rather than just technical skills.
Gender diversity on corporate boards a case of indiaIAEME Publication
The document summarizes a study examining gender diversity on the boards of 185 companies listed on India's BSE500 index over six years. Some key findings include:
- On average, 40% of companies had at least one woman on their board, but women accounted for only 5% of total directorships on average.
- The study estimated a 30% increase in women on boards in the next five years and a 61% increase over ten years based on current trends.
- Women held few board or committee chair/membership positions, suggesting they may be token representatives without real influence.
Research in Management Accounting (Pesquisa em contabilidade gerencial)Felipe Pontes
Palestra realizada na UFPB sobre pesquisa em contabilidade gerencial.
A palestra foi dividida em duas partes. Na primeira, a Professora Kate Horton apresentou o seu artigo e na segunda ela falou sobre o processo de publicação deste artigo.
This document outlines the emerging discipline of service science, management, engineering, and design (SSMED). It discusses how the growth of the global service economy has led to a dramatic increase in specialized service systems and interactions. However, surprisingly few university students study services or service systems. The document presents some of the key foundations of SSMED as a new interdisciplinary field aimed at understanding and innovating service systems. It explores theoretical concepts around the growth of services and value co-creation. It also discusses how SSMED relates to and can integrate multiple existing academic disciplines and professions.
This document summarizes a study that investigated the relationship between Hofstede's five dimensions of national culture and commitment to organizational change, with readiness for change as a potential mediating factor. The study used surveys to collect data from over 1,000 Qatari public employees on national culture, commitment to change, and readiness for change. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and test the hypothesized relationships between the variables. The preliminary results found poor model fit, suggesting the model may need modification by removing survey items with low factor loadings to improve fit. In summary, the study examined how national cultural dimensions relate to commitment to organizational change both directly and indirectly through readiness for change.
This document summarizes a study that investigated the relationship between delegation of authority and staff commitment at the School of Finance and Banking in Kigali, Rwanda. A survey of 78 staff members found a weak but significant positive correlation between the two variables. This implies that higher levels of delegated authority are linked to increased levels of staff commitment. The study aimed to address gaps in understanding the factors influencing previously reported low levels of commitment among staff at the school.
This paper analyzes dialogs and debates within the NGO CARE India regarding understandings of gender justice in the context of a girls' education project. Through analyzing stories shared by CARE India staff during gender training sessions and other forums, the paper finds that staff members' understandings of gender justice are shaped by their differing experiences and positions within the field, organization, and domestic spaces. While these dialogs included voices from diverse social actors to identify capabilities needed for gender justice in education, the voices were often mediated and reframed by local NGO actors. The paper uses this analysis to argue that gender mainstreaming should be viewed as a process that produces contextual and contested understandings, rather than being seen solely as failure when
This paper reveals the relationship of FTSE board and environment policy of t...Service_supportAssignment
This paper reveals the relationship of FTSE board and environment policy of their companies listed. According to Lovell and Liverman (2010) suggested that they are inspired in their reassessment of carbon trading procedures due to the lack of some world class standards and Also it is similarly deregulated by the deficiency of broadly recruited international standards or policy for intentional carbon reporting of carbon emission. Consolidating the analysis in regard to the investors’ wants for data has permitted the researchers for well understanding the various methods to evaluate the procedures that are used to develop the emission of carbon reports, and also hoping that the social world of monetary services mediators, controller and carbon consultancie
International Journal of Business and Management Invention (IJBMI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Business and Management. IJBMI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Business and Management, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online.
Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 1
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 9
Annotated Bibliography
08/31/2016
Topic: Challenges Facing Human Services Organizations
Almog-Bar, M., & Schmid, H. (2013). Advocacy activities of nonprofit human service organizations: A critical review. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 0899764013483212
The article begins by explaining that policy advocacy is a feature that is usually used by human services organizations in representation of their constituencies. The literature review in the article focusses on the research that has been done in the last ten years about policy advocacy in human services organizations particularly the non-profits. There is also an elaboration of the contributions and characteristics of policy advocacy in relevance to human services organizations. The major topics that are addressed in the review are; the definition and how the term policy advocacy originated, the current issues that have been studied on the topic, current prevalence and situation on advocacy activities of human services organizations, structural and organizational variables related to policy advocacy. The other aspect that is highlighted by the article and it affects most of human services organizations is that on policy advocacy and dependence on external funding. The article is important for my research topic as it gives a deep insight on one of the challenges facing human services agencies.
Brown, W. A., Andersson, F. O., & Jo, S. (2015). Dimensions of Capacity in Nonprofit Human Service Organizations. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 1-24.
This is a quantitative study that was done by conducting interviews in order to identify the dimensions used in determining the capacity of human services agencies. The objective of this paper is to give a presentation and develop a better understanding on the capacity of human services organizations. The article adopts resource-based perspective on the organization which appreciates that capabilities and attributes of the organization determine and promotes performance. Data collection was done by conducting interviews among 66 executives in human services organizations that were moderate sized in which there was discussion of factors influencing performance. The finding elaborated in the article is that social, human and financial capital all contribute to the performance of the organization. From the executives who were interviewed, it was apparent that the quality of those people who are associated with the agency including board of directors impact on the performance. The article is a good source for the research paper as it identifies challenges affecting perfo ...
Running Head: RESEARCH TOPIC 1
RESEARCH TOPIC 3
Lilisbet Alonso
Florida National University
Nursing Research
Prof: Claudia Davis PhD, RN-BC
May 12, 2020
RESEARCH TOPIC
Family nurse practitioners are much more interested in improving the general quality of nursing care and services delivery to the patients. I believe that family nursing practitioner profession is very vital in improving the quality of care by serving a very unique function in the medical care system. This is through the development of lasting relationships with patients and viewing the success of patients within the greater family and community framework.
My research topic of interest is Obesity and Weight Management Programs. The reason why I choose doing this research is due to the day by day increasing mortality rates and considerable morbidity that are linked with obesity due to the impact that it has on other conditions such as type 2 diabetes, reproductive diseases, cancer as well as gastrointestinal diseases. (Tappen, 2016). Obese individuals face a incessant, enduring struggle. This makes obesity to be one of the most prevalent diet-related health problems globally and more so in the United States. It places a significant burden on healthcare systems. There is, therefore, the importance of research to better understand the problem and how it can be maintained.
According to Lean, et al., (2018) there was a projection by the government that by the turn of 21st century, less than of 20% of adults aged 20 years and above and no more than 15% of adolescents aged 12 and above should not be overweight. This goal has not been achieved; rather, the United States is moving father rather than closer to the goal. The prevalence of overweight and obesity continues to rise and not falling.
References
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXvoKE6_wQo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw8HPXJP1VA
Lean, M. E., Astrup, A., & Roberts, S. B. (2018). Making progress on the global crisis of obesity and weight management. bmj, 361, k2538.
Tappen, R. M. (2016). Advanced nursing research: From theory to practice. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=DnyUCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&dq=Tappen,+R.M.+(2015).+Nursing+Research.+Advanced+Nursing+Research:+From+Theory+to+Practice.+(2nd+ed.).+Jones+%26+Bartlett+Learning.&ots=NMrFQlcuEw&sig=BcD9_wBWYoJnfY9u6duh8Qvt5TE&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
NORMAN, ELTON_DIS9902A-12-1 1
LAST, FIRST DIS9902A-12-4 1
Gender Diversity and Job Performance in the Banking Industry
Chapter 2
Student Name
Professor Name
14 May 2020
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Patterns of Gender Diversity 6
Senior Management 7
Importance of Diverse Board 8
Theoretical Background 8
Agency Theory.
Does diversity matter- exploring workforce diversity, diversitymanagement, an...drkhaledshukran
This article examines workforce diversity, diversity management, and organizational performance in social enterprises. It conducted interviews with 14 individuals from social enterprises in Los Angeles, including top managers and regular employees. The study found high levels of diversity in gender, race, education and sexual orientation but low diversity in age and values. Workforce diversity and diversity management were seen as positively impacting performance. However, while diversity management was considered important, it was not widely implemented. The study provides insights into how diversity and diversity management can support sustainability in social enterprises.
13 hours ago
Tami Frazier
Week 11 Initial Discussion Post
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
NURS 6052 – Essentials of Evidence-Based Practice
Week 11 Initial Post
Creating a Culture of Evidence-Based Practice
Evidence-based practice (EBP) in its most simplistic form is using the evidence, whether from clinical experiences or patient preferences, to make decisions that affect patient care positively (Polit & Beck, 2017). Evidence-based practice is essential for determining changes in practice that are needed to protect and provide safe care for patients. Nurses are the front-line of the healthcare system and are able to recognize and change policies and procedures. Therefore, nurses are responsible for sharing with their peers and co-workers the information obtained from their evidence-based research.
In order to make evidence-based changes, a dissemination plan needs to be in place. In our facility, our evidence-based practice nurse committee is responsible for teaching the staff on changes in practice. Once they have decided on the changes they present the information to the Emergency Department leadership. From there the changes are reported to the nursing staff through department meetings, bulletin boards, and online learning modules. This is based on the ACE Star Model of Knowledge Transformation which seeks to take research findings and use them to impact patient outcomes by using evidence-based care (Polit & Beck, 2017).
“Often in the dissemination phase, there are considerable barriers that exist. These barriers consist of prejudice toward findings, lack of approval from leadership, nurses attitudes, and the resources needed to make changes. Moore & Tierney (2019) found,
“an overarching theme of disconnection between research and evidence and the participants’ perceptions of contemporary nursing practice was underpinned by three themes:
1) We should be using it… but we’re not.
2) Employees suggested that research involvement was something left after graduation and no longer part of their day-to-day roles.
3) Research is other people’s business (p. 90).
In another report, it was suggested that evidence-based practice is challenging for nurses because of the pressures of a patient satisfaction culture and time constraints when caring for patients (Henderson & Fletcher, 2015). These barriers can only be overcome if nursing leadership has the courage to address them and help nurses see the positive benefits of evidence-based practice.
A culture of change is vital to making a significant improvement in the lives of patients. At this time nursing researchers are limited by a non-existent research culture leaving them nurses with the responsibility to develop that culture (Berthelsen & Holge-Hazelton, 2018). Creating an awareness of the research that is taking place by their peers removes the barriers of feeling not competent to participate. As nursing leadership, our role is to build a culture that creates curiosity and critical reflection ab.
DfforctTake Test Unit lAssessmentTest lnformation.docxcuddietheresa
Dfforc't
Take Test: Unit lAssessment
Test lnformation
Description
lnstructions Assessment lnstructions
Multiple Attempts Not allowed. This test can only be taken once.
Force Completion This test can be saved and resumed later.
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t:
I
Question Completion Status:
QUESTTON 1 25 points Save Answer
Describe the similarities and differences that exist between inpatient healthcare facilities and outpatient
healthcare facilities. Give three examples of inpatient fucilities and three examples of outpatient facilities. Be
sure to include information about the seryices each facility named provides.
Your response must be at least 200 words in length.
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QUESTTON 2 25 poinb Save Ansarer
Discuss the usage of data in health care today. As a heatthcare administrator, hcniv would you make the best
use of data that you have coiiected? Be sure to consider nationai data, state data, and facitrty clata rn your
answer.
Click Save and Submit to save and submit. Click Save All Answers to save oll answers.
Your response must be at least 200 words in length.
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QUESTION 3 25 points Save Answer
Discuss how expanded life spans and the new opportunities people have to obtain preventive health
screenings as a result of the Affordable Care Act have affected hcnar ofien peopte utilize healthcare services.
l--lYour re-sponse tnucf6e at leas{@i ,, Question Completion Status:
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QUESTTON 4 25 points Save Answer
You are the administrator of a 250-bed hospital in the Midwest. A recent report from your county tells you that
the population within a 2S-mile radius of your facility is getting younger. The median age has decreased from
35 years of age to 29 years of age, whlch is related to the opening of a new college campus. How will this
transition to a younger patient poputation afrect your facility? Are there services in your facility that may need to
be expanded? Are there services in your facility that many need to be reduced or eliminated? How might these
changes impact staffing for your facility?
Your response must be at leasi 200 words in length.
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Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at
https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=whrh20
Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism
ISSN: 1533-2845 (Print) 1533-2853 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/whrh20
How do changes in human resource management
practices influence employee engagement?
A longitudinal study in a hotel chain in the
Philippines
Alfred Presbitero
To cite this article: Alfred Presbitero (2017) How do changes in human resource management
practices influence employee engagement? A longitudinal study in a hotel chain in the
Philippines, Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 16:1, 56-70, DOI:
10.1080/15332845.2016.1202061
To l ...
University of New England's Center for Excellence in Interprofessional Education Director Shelley Cohen Konrad presents at the annual meeting of The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), a nonprofit national association representing more than 2,500 individual members, as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education.
This collaborative presentation is the work of
Barbara L. Jones, PhD, MSW, University of Texas at Austin
Shelley Cohen Konrad, PhD, LCSW, University of New England
Jayashree Nimmagadda, Ph.D., MSW., LICSW, Rhode Island College
Maureen Rubin, Ph.D., MSW, MA, University of Nevada, Reno
Anna M. Scheyett, PhD, MSW, LCSW, University of South Carolina
Job enrichment creating meaningful career developmentopport.docxchristiandean12115
This document summarizes a study that evaluated a career development policy in South Australia which provided senior registered nurses time away from clinical duties to undertake strategic projects. The policy aimed to enhance career opportunities and job satisfaction for experienced nurses. Interviews with 54 senior nurses found that the policy improved career structure and opportunities, developed new skills through projects, and provided a break from ward work while challenging nurses in new ways. The policy enhanced nurses' empowerment and commitment by increasing opportunities for growth, mobility, and meaningful career development even for those who wished to remain at the bedside.
discussion board due thursday by 1159p 250-300 words use citations .docxstelzriedemarla
discussion board due thursday by 11:59p 250-300 words use citations and references correctly
It has been said that the only constant is change itself. That is especially true of organizations. While some organizational changes are minor—only affecting a work group—others are department- and organization-wide.
The employees of an organization have varied reactions to changes. A leader needs to apply effective strategies for making the change successful.
For this Discussion, you will read a scenario and determine the best method for successfully implementing an organizational change and overcoming resistance to change.
To prepare
for this Discussion:
Review the Learning Resources for this week.
Review the following scenario.
Case Study: Funding Denied
Health Abounds, Inc., is a community clinic that receives the majority of its funds from the state government. Sally, the Director of Health Abounds, discovered that the grant proposal for state funding was denied due to quality and safety problems. This denial caused her to make some difficult and overarching changes in the organization, including the following:
Instituting a new clinicwide database system to include patient records that could be accessed anywhere in the clinic. This new database is intended to reduce medical errors. It will also provide consistent information to the staff quickly and easily, allowing them to provide quicker patient care.
Requiring doctors to use laptops when consulting with patients. This approach will allow them to enter easy-to-read notes into the patients’ electronic charts, quickly find information about adverse events associated with medications, and quickly search for information in the patient history.
Requiring a week-long training program for the staff to learn the new database system, especially because some of the staff will need to learn the basics of using a computer.
Post
a comprehensive response to the following:
What type of resistance might arise among the staff?
How might you, as the director of the organization, attempt to overcome the resistance?
What other consequences of implementing the change might the organization experience? Please explain.
___________________________________________________________________________
resources for this week
Robbins, S.P., & Judge, T. A. (2017).
Essentials of organizational behavior
(14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Chapter 16, "Organizational Culture"
The authors compare the functional and dysfunctional effects of organizational culture on employees and the organization. They also explain the factors that create and sustain a positive organizational culture.
Chapter 17, "Organizational Change and Stress Management"
This chapter describes the forces that can produce important changes in organizations, including technology, economic shocks, competition, and social trends.
Tsasis, P., & Bruce-Barrett, C. (2008). Organizational change through lean thinking.
...
Read The King Company Background and Human Resource Develo.docxdanas19
Read
The King Company Background
and
Human Resource Development
to review information on the company.
Address the following questions in an essay format which includes an introduction and conclusion (not a Q & A format):
As an HR consultant, design a process for the King Company to analyze what changes are needed in their HRD procedures, policies, and practices to improve the development of employees. Discuss the process you would follow and why you selected those process steps.
Be sure to bring in what you have learned from your change management, internal consulting, and organizational development readings.
Provide private-sector employer examples of HRM programs, systems, processes, and/or procedures as you address the assignment requirements. Provide names of the employers in your examples. Use different employer examples in this course than what have been used previously in your other papers and courses.
Utilize information from
at least 2 sources from the Online Library
to help strengthen and validate your discussion.
Paper length:
3–4 pages
(not counting the cover and reference pages).
Journal 1
Editorial introduction: An introduction to employer engagement in the field of HRM.
Blending social policy and HRM research in promoting vulnerable groups’ labour market participation Rik van Berkel, Utrecht School of Governance, Utrecht University, The Netherlands Jo Ingold , Leeds University Business School, UK Patrick McGurk, University of Greenwich Business School, UK Paul Boselie, Utrecht School of Governance, Utrecht University, The Netherlands Thomas Bredgaard, Department of Political Science, University of Aalborg, Denmark Human Resource Management Journal, Vol 27, no 4, 2017, pages 503–513 Contact: Dr. Rik van Berkel, Utrecht University, Bijlhouwerstraat 6, 3511ZC Utrecht, Netherlands. Email:
[email protected]
INTRODUCTION HRM and vulnerable groups
The aim of this special issue, and our challenge to HRM scholars and practitioners, is to bring vulnerable labour market groups into the mainstream of HRM. In doing so, this special issue introduces the relatively novel concept of “employer engagement.” We define employer engagement as the active involvement of employers in addressing the societal challenge of promoting the labour market participation of vulnerable groups. Since its origins in the early 1980s (Paauwe, 2009), the discipline of HRM has focused on the added value of human resources, human capital, and employees. It does so largely with a focus on the HRM of core employees, in terms of high-skill workers, managers, and specialist functions within large multinational companies (Keegan and Boselie, 2006; Lewin, 2011). A focus on the “most valuable employees” is also visible in the emphasis on talent management in strategic HRM theory and practice, with the potential consequence of reproducing distinctions between groups of workers (Lepak and Snell, 2002). Comparatively, HRM in relation to “vulnerable worke.
Workplace diversitymanagement in AustraliaWhat do manage.docxambersalomon88660
Workplace diversity
management in Australia
What do managers think and
what are organisations doing?
Paul J. Davis, Yuliya Frolova and William Callahan
KIMEP University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify Australian managers’ attitudes and understandings
regarding workforce diversity management (WDM) and the practices and incorporation of WDM
in organisations.
Design/methodology/approach – Methodology is quantitative. A questionnaire in the form of a
self-administered survey instrument was mailed to 650 managers (325 HR managers and 325 other
managers) in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Findings – The research found that workforce diversity is not especially well understood or
appreciated; especially by non-HR managers. Organisations appear generally not to prioritise WDM
and levels of senior manager engagement with the topic are tentative. Statistical analysis highlighted
considerable divergence of opinion across the surveyed group.
Research limitations/implications – As an exploratory study, further research is encouraged to
better understand cause and effect relationships pertaining to the findings.
Practical implications – There are implications for HR managers or those in related roles who
might design, implement and promote WDM initiatives. There are implications for consultants,
employees and senior managers regarding education, awareness and support of diversity objectives.
Originality/value – Addresses a gap in the literature by looking at contemporary attitudes and
practices regarding WDM in Australian organisations. Provides the first empirical comparison
between HR and other managers on the topic.
Keywords Australia, Diversity, Gender, Human resource management, Managers,
Diversity management
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Over the past few decades workforce diversity management (WDM) has evolved to
become an increasingly important part of human resource management (HRM) in
organisations. It is arguably the case that academic and practitioner interest in the
topic has grown owing to the benefits that diversity management (DM) strategies can
deliver. According to McCuiston et al. (2004), for example, properly implemented
policies to promote workplace diversity can result in an improved bottom line;
increased competitive advantage; superior business performance; higher levels of
employee satisfaction and loyalty; a strengthened relationship with multicultural
communities, and attracting the best and the brightest candidates. Indeed,
contemporary scholars concur: having and making use of a diverse workforce is
beneficial to organisations (Stewart and Brown, 2010; Ivancevich and Konopaske, 2012;
Dessler, 2013; Mathis et al., 2013; Mondy and Mondy, 2014; Noe et al., 2014).
It is important that equal employment opportunities (EEO) are embedded in the
firm’s routine business practices to ensure the success of DM initiatives. This means,
for example, that firms must provide EEO thro.
1Effects of Gender Diversity on Job Perf.docxaulasnilda
1
Effects of Gender Diversity on Job Performance in the Banking Industry
6 December 2019
Statement of the Problem
Gender diversity and inclusion of women in top executive management and boards of directors add value to an organization. For example, gender diversity can add value to problem solving, resulting in better performance of the company (Joshi, 2017). Including more gender diversity in a firm may also increase the effectiveness of the firm because of a better understanding of the needs of stakeholders, better risk management and business practices. It also enhances decision making by adding new ideas and perspectives. The banking sector is one sector that can enjoy and benefit gender diversity.
The banking sector faces many challenges from increased competition, a high rate of technological growth and increased regulations by the government. This has led banks to compete for the best employees. Workforce diversity is achieved through gender diversity, age diversity and ethnicity diversity. Research show that proper management of workforce diversity has a positive outcome in any organization (Rizwan et al. 2016). Studies have shown that organizations with a high level of workforce diversity management are effective in producing corporate cultures that pioneer capabilities and fresh idea for survival.
There has been an increase in workforce gender diversity in firms and organizations. However, few studies have focused on examining the relationship between gender diversity and job performance for over three decades. Also, these studies provide conflicting results on diversity. Empirical research found that gender diversity is either good or bad for an organization (Ali et al. 2009). For example, Svyantek and Bott (2004) did a review on nine diversity studies investigating this relationship and they found inconsistent results. The studies showed positive effect, negative effect, zero effect and nonlinear effects. If business turned to this body of literature for hiring practices insights, they would find conclusive evidence on what to do.
One study indicates that fostering gender diversity improves the outcomes of the firm while others claim the opposite. Another body of study claims that gender diversity and organizational performance are not connected (Joshi, 2017). This leaves private sectors including the banking sector to rely on past evidence, anecdotal assertions and stereotypes. Consequently, this creates a problem.
Despite efforts by the government to foster gender diversity at the workplace through policies and practices, gender diversity has fallen short in the sector. This is partly because of the resistance by the banking industry because of lack of rigorous evidence on how gender diversity shapes their outcomes. The existing literature only examines gender diversity in senior management and corporate rooms, but reaching these positions depends on the resources and opportunities women are afford ...
Submit your alignment table to demonstrate the alignment between p.docxjames891
This document provides details about a study examining the effects of gender diversity on job performance in the banking industry. The study will use a sample of 230 middle managers from 13 commercial banks to examine how gender diversity (independent variable) impacts performance measures like profitability, efficiency, and talent retention (dependent variable). Control variables of age, education, and ethnicity diversity will also be considered. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods will be used, including questionnaires, interviews, and statistical analysis to establish relationships between the variables. The goal is to add to the limited existing research on this topic and provide insights for banks on how gender diversity may impact performance.
Submit your alignment table to demonstrate the alignment between p.docxdeanmtaylor1545
This document provides details about a study examining the effects of gender diversity on job performance in the banking industry. The study will use a sample of 230 middle managers from 13 commercial banks to examine how gender diversity (independent variable) impacts performance measures like profitability, efficiency, and talent retention (dependent variable). Control variables of age, education, and ethnicity diversity will also be considered. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods, including surveys and statistical analysis, will be used to analyze the data and answer four research questions on the relationship between gender diversity and job performance.
Identify and analyze one resource that provides information regafideladallimore
Identify and analyze one resource that provides information regarding services for dealing with and treating substance use and abuse. Write a 4,000 word paper which discusses the availability of the services, the requirements for accessing those services, and the human service professionals involved in the service setting.
Proper APA format (6th ed.) is required. If you choose to expand beyond the resource located for this assignment and utilize supporting materials, then the use of peer-reviewed, scholarly journal article3s is also a requirement.
Benchmark the service chosen against these standards
(see YouTube video on Benchmarking under Required References for Week 4)
:
Is the source an acknowledged authority on the resources?
Does the source provide detailed information about services and professionals involved in services?
What type of information is there on requirements for accessing services?
Is there information about the number of people served, and what type of people?
Who is sponsoring the website?
In your opinion, is the available service adequate for treating the needs of the group to be served? Why or why not?
What other professionals might need to be involved in the service setting to make the service more effective?
Required Text
Martin, M.E. (2014). Introduction to human services: Through the eyes of practice settings (3rd. ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education. ISBN: 9780205848058
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Required References
Bob Wineburg. (2008, November 10). Faith based initiative /social service and congregational research part 1 [Video file]. Retrieved from
Faith Based Initiative /Social Service and Congregational Research Part 1 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Bob Wineburg. (2008, November 10). Faith based initiative /social service research part 2 [Video file]. Retrieved from
Faith Based Initiative/Social Service Research Part 2 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
COER Benchmarking. (2010, January 14). What is benchmarking? [Video file]. Retrieved from
What is benchmarking (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
This YouTube lecture video by Dr. Robin Mann at the Business Excellence Global Conference in Singapore (2009).
Recommended References
McCarthy, S. K.(2013). Serving society, repurposing the state: Religious charity and resistance in China. China Journal, 70, 48-72.
Meadows, D., Davies, M., & Beamish, W. (2014). Teacher control over interagency collaboration: A roadblock for effective transitioning of youth with disabilities. International Journal of Disability, Development & Education, 61(4), 332-345.
Molina, L., & Demchak, M.A. (2016). The right to a better life: Using a work camp to create customized employment opportunities for rural high school students with severe disabilities. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 35(2), 24-32.
Saleem, A. & Hovey, G. (2014). Faith, relief and development: The UMCOR-Muslim aid model seven years ...
Evidence-Based Management
Resources
Evidence-Based Management Scoring Guide
.
APA Refresher
.
Based on the feedback obtained in Unit 9 on your project draft, revise your project as needed. Submit your final project in this assignment. Review the Evidence-Based Management course project description prior to submitting to ensure you understand the and meet the grading criteria for this assignment.
Course Project:
Units with response feedback for Final Project:
Unit 4
-
How does the organization curb high employee turnover?
The organization has been hiring administrators, but the number of those quitting is more than the retention rate. This is referred to as employee turnover. It has been described as the percentage of employees who leave the organization and the new ones are hired. The goal of any efficient organization is to reduce employee turnover as it hurts any organization’s bottom line (Lee, 2012). This is because research has indicated that it costs twice as more to train a new employee than to retain a current one. High turnover can also negatively impact other employees’ motivation.
To achieve this goal, the healthcare organization needs to be aware of the different strategies to avert this trend. First, the organization needs to hire the right individuals from the start. This is the single best method of averting staff turnover (Lee, 2012). Candidate should be interviewed and vetted carefully so as to ensure they possess the right skillset that will fit into the company culture. The organization should also set the right benefits and compensation structure as incentives to employees. Such information can be obtained by the human resources department getting current industry data on various industry pay packages. They can also get creative when necessary such as implementing flexible bonus structures and work schedules. HR can obtain this information from the internet or surveys conducted by other interested parties.
Once the relevant data and information are obtained, the organization can use it to devise strategies to curb the high employee turnover. Such data can be used to implement ways of bolstering employees’ engagement (Sheridan, 2014). This is because employees are motivated by healthy social interaction and a more rewarding work environment. The data will also be useful in reviewing the employees’ compensation and benefits package paying attention to the trends in the industry.
The stakeholders in this exercise will be the healthcare institution’s management and its employees. This is because they are directly affected by the high staff turnover. The management has to incur the costs of replacing and training new staff members while the staff are demotivated when their colleagues constantly quit (Lee, 2012). Controlling staff turnover is not an easy task, but the health care facility has made great strides. Currently, there are fewer employees quitting their jobs as a result of additional incentives. Such i.
2APPLYING THEORYRunning head APPLYING THEORY .docxrhetttrevannion
2
APPLYING THEORY
Running head: APPLYING THEORY 1
Applying Theory to Specific Settings and Populations
Applying Theory to Specific Settings and Populations
Employment is a concern that affects society, communities, families, and individuals. The world of work has changed considerably with each generation: advances in technology, changes in jobs and industries, high unemployment, universal health care, and lower wages, to name a few (Shoffner, 2006). To meet the needs of our clients today, counselors should be knowledgeable in career theories that can be applied to their career choice and development. This paper focuses on two theories: Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), and Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA). This author identifies the strengths and weaknesses to both perspectives, and explains how these theories may be applied to trauma and crisis populations.
Work Setting and Client Population
For the last ten years I worked in the field of education as an elementary school teacher. I recently made a career change that I felt compelled to follow: to counsel victims of violence and trauma survivors. I am currently not working in the field of mental health; however, I wish to pursue any work setting such as a hospital, shelter, or agency that serves victimized populations. I also aspire to get involved with Red Cross or FEMA relief agencies when services are needed for disaster relief. I want to give back to the community, and make it count.
Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and Theory of Work Adjustment
Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) is a learning and cognitive approach to career development and choice (Shoffner, 2006). The key concepts of self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, and career choice barriers and supports, contribute to career interests, goals, and behavior (Morris, Shoffner, & Newsome, 2009). Chronister & McWhirter (2003) assert that SCCT integrates the role of environmental influences on the “development and pursuit of vocational and educational interests, choices, and performance” (p. 419). In short, people’s interests and aspirations are influenced by their belief that they can do things well.
The Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA), by Dawis, England, and Lofquist, was developed from the trait and factor approach to career counseling. TWA posits that success on the job results from a good “fit” between individuals and their work environments (Shoffner, 2006). The four main components of TWA are satisfaction, person--environment correspondence, reinforcement value, and ability, addressing both individual characteristics and pertinent environmental factors (Shoffner, 2006).
Similarities and Differences
Social Cognitive Career Theory and Theory of Work Adjustment both have a solid and extensive research base with continuous empirical findings to support their theoretical approaches to career development. Both theories may be applied to a variety of populations such as “girl.
Name that test! A researcher is interested in discovering whether or.pdfdineshsaxena01
Name that test! A researcher is interested in discovering whether or not there is a relationship
between supervisor support and burnout. He collects data from a random sample of individuals
who self-report their levels of perceived supervisor support (on a scale of 1-5) and burnout (on a
scale of 1-5). Which statistical test is most appropriate for this researcher to use? a.
independent samples t-test b. Chi-square c. ANOVA d. None of these e. Matched pairs t-test
f. regression g. correlation
Solution
The role of developmental services workers (DSWs) is undergoing major changes.
Fewer people are entering the occupation, and at the same time, those currently in the occupation
are leaving at increasing rates, presumably due to high stress levels and burnout. Some reasons
for this phenomenon are the type of work preformed by DSWs (providing personal/emotional
care) and working conditions (shift work, part-time, low wages). This research used field
observation at locations within a developmental services agency and semi-structured interviews
with five participants working in the developmental services field, including front line staff and
management. The participants were asked to identify job challenges and gather
opinions/suggestions for improving low retention rates and high burn out rates. The participants
spoke about ways to improve the quality of care provided to people with developmental
disabilities. Although this is a very small sample, all of the participants were aware that burnout
rates are quite high for DSWs. The opinions of front line workers and management reflect the
similarities and minor differences between these groups. The participants believe burnout can be
reduced and retention improved by: increasing pay rates, improving working hours, creating
safer work conditions, increasing support from management, ensuring staff have an interest in
vulnerable populations, and increasing the availability of meaningful training. Development
Services Workers (DSWs) are specially trained individuals who provide personal care and non-
professional services to people with developmental disabilities. Even though these individuals
provide an important service that greatly improves the quality of life for people with
developmental disabilities, it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit and retain DSWs. This
research examines the role of the DSWs and attempts to identify some of the factors that
contribute to the declining ability to attract individuals to this type of employment, and the
factors that make it difficult to retain individuals in this field. The importance of the level of
service provided by DSWs to individuals with developmental disabilities reinforces the need to
ensure this field of service remains viable and attractive to individuals seeking a career in
personal care. This research also provides some recommendations for changes that will improve
recruitment and retention of DSWs. Ontario has a long history of providing .
A CASE STUDY EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF MANAGING WORKPLACE DIVERSITY ON DIVERSIT...Nicole Heredia
This document is a dissertation that explores how managing workplace diversity impacts diversity awareness and employee job satisfaction. It defines key terms like diversity and discusses the importance of managing a diverse workforce. The study aims to examine diversity management policies and procedures and see how they influence diversity awareness and job satisfaction. Surveys will be used to measure these variables. The dissertation reviews literature on topics like human resource management, equal employment laws, job satisfaction theories, and case studies on diversity initiatives. The methodology chapter will describe the sample, instruments, and data analysis plan for testing the hypotheses that diversity awareness correlates with job satisfaction, and certain diversity characteristics may impact awareness levels. The results and implications of the study are discussed.
Similar to Week 4 journal start assignmentgroupthinkdefine groupthink. (20)
The material for this moduleweek has led us from Europe, through fi.docxSUBHI7
The material for this module/week has led us from Europe, through first contacts, to the establishment of a solid English presence in the Americas. After reading and thinking about the Reading & Study materials for this module/week, what strikes you most about the founding of the American colonies? Did anything surprise you? Did your reading challenge your ideas or visions about colonial America?
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The media informs many viewers of deviance and crime, victims of cri.docxSUBHI7
The media informs many viewers of deviance and crime, victims of crime, and justice in society. Consider and describe the following:
Where do you get your information about:
Deviant behavior
Crime
Victims of crime
Justice for victims
Describe your perception of
Deviant behavior
What behavior is deviant according to your values?
Crime
What do you believe is the root or cause of crime?
What types of crimes do you believe happen most?
Who do you believe commits crime?
Victims of crime
Who do you believe is likely to be a victim?
Have you ever been fearful of a crime occurring to you or your family?
What do you believe about victims that you hear about?
Justice for victims
How do you see justice handled in our society?
What form of punishment do you see as being effective or ineffective?
Did you learn anything specific from the textbook that has changed your perception? What did you learn and which perception did it change?
Write a 500 or more word paper that addresses the above questions.
.
The midterm is already late. I would like to submit ASAP.Illust.docxSUBHI7
The midterm is already late. I would like to submit ASAP.
Illustrate common and unique features of localization vs standardization using a Venn Diagram or similar chart, be sure that the chart or graph shows specific examples.
Compare the human resources philosophy of two companies from the same industry. Comparison should include their similarities, differences and at least one item that gives that company a competitive advantage.
Relate how behavioral norms, attitudes and values define a country’s culture.
Culture can be defined as accepted norms, attitude, value, or traditional behavior within an organization or group.
Examine and provide a detailed example of norm of reciprocity in a multinational company.
Elaborate on the impact of communication in a MNC. Create a detailed example of good communication and a detailed example of a time that communication was not good.
Good communication is vital in any business and more prevalent in a MNC.
There are a few generations that are currently in workplace.
In order to effective
Without effective communication
.
The major assignment for this week is to compose a 900-word essay co.docxSUBHI7
This week's major assignment is a 900-word essay comparing The Odyssey with either The Song of Roland or Dante's Inferno. Students must write an in-depth analysis using their own ideas, quotes, paraphrases or summaries from the epic poems. Although The Odyssey and Dante's Inferno were written nearly 2,000 years apart, both works are epic poems that explore humanity's relationship with the divine, use journey as a metaphor for maturation, and reveal cultural values about leadership and the appeal of temptation. The paper must compare and contrast how one of these topics is developed in The Odyssey and Dante's Inferno, while contextualizing the examination in each work's cultural values, philosophies, and
The minimum length for this assignment is 1,200 wordsMust use APA .docxSUBHI7
The minimum length for this assignment is 1,200 words
Must use APA format
Eukaryotic cells are the most structurally advanced of the major cell types. Describe the structure and function of each of the eukaryotic organelles. Distinguish between those that are and are not membranous. Most are membranous. Explain the importance of membrane structure and function in the organization of living processes within cells.
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The Military•Select three characteristics of the early America.docxSUBHI7
The Military
•Select three characteristics of the early American militias.
•Compare these with three characteristics of the current American military.
•How are they similar?
How are they different?
The initial post should be 75 to 150 words, but may go longer depending on the topic. If you use any source outside of your own thoughts, you should reference that source. Include solid grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling.
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The minimum length for this assignment is 2,000 wordsDiscoveries.docxSUBHI7
The minimum length for this assignment is 2,000 words
Discoveries in DNA, cell biology, evolution, biotechnology have been among the major achievements in biology over the past 200 years with accelerated discoveries and insights over the last 50 years. Consider the progress we have made in these areas of human knowledge. Present at least three of the discoveries you find to be most important and describe their significance to society, health, and the culture of modern life.
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The Mini Project Task Instructions Read about validity and reliab.docxSUBHI7
The Mini Project Task
Instructions: Read about validity and reliability starting on page 324 of the textbook.
Your assignment is to create a 5-page paper addressing the following questions:
a. What is the difference between reliability and validity? Which is more important? Why?
b. What are the different ways of assessing reliability?
c. What are the different ways of assessing validity?
d. What are the different ways of obtaining validity evidence?
The analysis requires the additional components:
APA formatted paper including:
o Font: Times New Roman, 12 point, and double spaced.
o Margins: One inch margins, all around.
o Indents: One-half inch indent as to begin a paragraph.
o Proper APA citations and references.
o Proper use of Level 1 headings as to label the
introduction, main body,
and
conclusions
segments.
o Proper use of Level 2 headings as to label the sections within the
main body
and
conclusions
.
o A proper title page.
o A reference page utilizing hanging indents and alphabetized by the last name of the first author.
Free of spelling errors and minimal use of passive voice.
Page 324
In general, reliabilities less than 0.60 are considered to be poor, those in the 0.70 range, acceptable, and those over 0.80 good. Thus, the internal consistency reliability of the measures used in this study can be considered to be acceptable for the job enrichment measure and good for the other measures.
It is important to note that all the negatively worded items in the questionnaire should first be reversed before the items are submitted for reliability tests. Unless all the items measuring a variable are in the same direction, the reliabilities obtained will be incorrect.
A sample of the result obtained for the Cronbach’s alpha test for job enrichment, together with instructions on how it is obtained, is shown in Output 11.3.
The reliability of the job enrichment measure is presented in the first table in Output 11.3. The second table provides an overview of the alphas if we take one of the items out of the measure. For instance, it is shown that if the first item (Jobchar1) is taken out, Cronbach’s alpha of the new three-item measure will be 0.577. This means that the alpha will go down if we take item 1 out of our measure. On the other hand, if we take out item 3, our alpha will go up and become 0.851. Note that, in this case, we would not take out item 3 for two reasons. First, our alpha is above 0.7 so we do not have to take any remedial actions. Second, if we took item 3 out, the validity of our measure would probably decrease. We did not include item 3 for nothing in the original measure!
If, however, our Cronbach’s alpha was too low (under 0.60) then we could use this table to find out which of the items would have to be removed from our measure to increase the interitem consistency. Note that, usually, taking out an item, although improving the reliability of our measure, affects the validity of our measure .
The Mexican ceramics folk-art firm signs a contract for the Mexican .docxSUBHI7
The Mexican ceramics folk-art firm signs a contract for the Mexican firm to deliver 1500 pieces of artwork to an Italian firm within the next 120 days. The contract is denominated in pesos. During this time the Mexican peso strengthens against the euro. What is the net profitability effect on the Mexican firm? What international market concept is demonstrated in this example? Discuss the risks associated with changing exchange rates and international commerce and provide a scenario demonstrating these risks.
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The maximum size of the Layer 2 frame has become a source of ineffic.docxSUBHI7
The maximum size of the Layer 2 frame has become a source of inefficiency in terms of modern wide area network (WAN) speeds, which have increased some 400 times over those prevailing when Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) was first introduced as a protocol. One solution to this problem is known as
WAN acceleration
, which uses oversized frames at Layer 2 to increase network throughput.
Discuss available WAN acceleration solutions, and provide a short description of how such solutions are implemented through alteration of the Layer 2 frame format.
.
The menu structure for Holiday Travel Vehicles existing character-b.docxSUBHI7
The menu structure for Holiday Travel Vehicle"s existing character-based system is shown here....
Interface x 904
Function x 9541
user interface x 297
Functions x 1487
The menu structure for Holiday Travel Vehicle’s existing character-based system is shown here. Develop and prototype a new interface design for the system’s functions, using a graphical user interface. Assume that the new system will need to include the same functions as those shown in the menus provided. Include any messages that will be produced as a user interacts with your interface (error, confirmation, status, etc.). Also, prepare a written summary that describes how your interface implements the principles of good interface design as presented in the textbook.
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The marks are the actual grades which I got in the exam. So, if .docxSUBHI7
The marks are the actual grades which I got in the exam.
So, if any body wants me to do this work for him, kindly message me. Thanks
Question 1
10 out of 10 points
A business that selects a differentiation strategy would ________.
Question 2
10 out of 10 points
________ information is information that directly pertains both to the context and to the subject.
Question 3
10 out of 10 points
In a database, a table, which is a group of similar rows, is also called a ________.
Question 4
10 out of 10 points
The ________ group's purpose is to protect information assets by establishing standards and management practices and policies.
Question 5
10 out of 10 points
________ is a suite of software applications that consolidates existing systems by providing layers of software that connect applications together.
Question 6
10 out of 10 points
Normal processing procedures for system users are ________.
Question 7
10 out of 10 points
Which of the following is an open-source operating system?
Question 8
10 out of 10 points
Which of the following uses an individual's personal physical characteristics such as fingerprints, facial features, and retinal scans for verification purposes?
Question 9
10 out of 10 points
________ is the dynamic social media process of employing users to participate in product design or product redesign.
Question 10
10 out of 10 points
Each stage of the value chain not only adds value to the product but also ________.
Question 11
10 out of 10 points
One of the important functions of a DBMS is to provide the necessary tools for ________.
Question 12
10 out of 10 points
Which of the following is true of a VPN (virtual private network)?
Question 13
10 out of 10 points
Which of the following departments in an organization is supported by information systems applications such as recruitment and compensation?
Question 14
10 out of 10 points
Which of the following statements is true about cloud services?
Question 15
10 out of 10 points
The first phase in the customer life cycle involves ________.
Question 16
10 out of 10 points
Which of the following is a technical safeguard against security threats?
Question 17
10 out of 10 points
An internal information system built using Web services ________.
Question 18
10 out of 10 points
The two strength factors that relate to all three competitive forces are ________ and customer loyalty.
Question 19
10 out of 10 points
Which of the following is true of Web services?
Question 20
10 out of 10 points
With HTTPS, data are encrypted using a protocol called the ________.
Question 21
10 out of 10 points
Why is it important for business professionals to take an active role in developing and managing information systems?
Question 22
0 out of 10 points
Which of the following is a major problem posed by multi-user processing of a database?
Question 23
10 out of 10 points
Which of the following elements of a datab.
the main discussion will be Schwarzenegger and fitness,talk about ho.docxSUBHI7
the main discussion will be Schwarzenegger and fitness,talk about how does he affect the fitness area. Why is he so famous, add some person views and create you own title. Mainly discuss about fitness
topic
the main discussion will be Schwarzenegger and fitness,talk about how does he affect the fitness area. Why is he so famous, add some person views and create you own title. Mainly discuss about fitness
Formal Essay #3: Reporting Information/The Expository Essay
Expository writing is a staple of academic writing. Throughout your academic and professional career, you will be called on to write hundreds of expository articles, reports and essays. A thorough knowledge of this writing form will hold you in good stead all through your career.
What is Expository Writing?
‘Expository’ is a synonym of ‘explanatory’. An expository essay is a piece of writing that explains or informs. It should be based on fact and free of the writer’s prejudices. Opinion is often expressed, but only if it is backed by fact. For example, if someone asked you to write an essay on the causes of World War II, you would write about Germany’s losses in World War I, the Treaty of Versailles, the fall of the Weimar Republic, and the rise of Hitler led Nazism. In other words, everything would be based on verifiable fact.
The expository writing process centers on four activities:
Generate a rough idea or hypothesis.
Find evidence to back up this idea.
Expound on the idea.
Present an argument to back up the idea.
Thus, if you were to say that the Treaty of Versailles was the chief cause of World War II, you would first talk about the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, the financial condition of Germany after WWI, the ineffectiveness of the Weimar Republic, and how they all led to the rise of Nazism.
Structurally, a piece of expository writing has the following components:
An
introduction
that introduces the central idea you will discuss in the essay.
The
main body
that presents evidence to back up the idea. This is the meat of the essay.
A
conclusion
that presents your idea again in the light of the evidence.
Thus, the central thrust of expository writing should be to build towards proving an argument, fact by fact, piece of evidence by piece of evidence. You will use expository writing a lot throughout your academic life. Most essays that you write in college will be expository in nature. Most writing that you will do in your professional life will involve a lot of expository content as well. In other words, sharpening up this skill will serve you well throughout your life.
Required Essay Format:
All response papers must be typed, double-spaced, and stapled. Font size should be 12 point Times New Roman font.
***AT MINIMUM, YOUR WORKS CITED PAGE WILL CONTAIN 3-4 SOURCES!!!!
Essays should demonstrate the following kinds of understanding. Essays should meet assignment requirements of page length and number of sources, quotes, and summaries/paraphrases. The w.
The minimum length for this assignment is 1,500 words. Cellular .docxSUBHI7
The minimum length for this assignment is 1,500 words.
Cellular respiration and photosynthesis form a critical cycle of energy and matter that supports the continued existence of life on earth. Describe the stages of cellular respiration and photosynthesis and their interaction and interdependence including raw materials, products, and amount of ATP or glucose produced during each phase. How is each linked to specific organelles within the eukaryotic cell. What has been the importance and significance of these processes and their cyclic interaction to the evolution and diversity of life?
.
The Main Post needs to be 3-5 Paragraphs At a minimum, each stud.docxSUBHI7
The Main Post needs to be 3-5 Paragraphs
At a minimum, each student will be expected to post an original and thoughtful response to the DB question and contribute to the weekly dialogue by responding to at least two other posts from students. The first contribution must be posted before midnight (Central Time) on Wednesday of each week. Two additional responses are required after Wednesday of each week. Students are highly encouraged to engage on the Discussion Board early and often, as that is the primary way the university tracks class attendance and participation.
The purpose of the Discussion Board is to allow students to learn through sharing ideas and experiences as they relate to course content and the DB question. Because it is not possible to engage in two-way dialogue after a conversation has ended, no posts to the DB will be accepted after the end of each unit.
Many organizations have established policies to remedy discrimination when hiring women and minorities. Discuss whether you feel that affirmative action programs, reverse discrimination, and criteria of comparable worth are appropriate forms of remedy.
You should conduct research on this topic before making your posts.
Using the textbook, course materials, and Web resources, research affirmative action, reverse discrimination, and comparable worth and answer the following questions:
Do you feel that these concepts are appropriate forms of remedy in the workplace? Explain.
What else do you think could be done to eliminate discrimination in the workplace?
You must use at least one credible source from either the Library's full-text database or the Web. Include your reference(s) that you used in APA format with your Discussion Board post. Post a new topic to the Discussion Board that contains your answers to the questions, and respond to 2 other students' posts on the Discussion Board. Be sure to explain to them why you agree or disagree with their arguments.
Your submitted assignment (
60 points
) should include the following:
40 Points Your Discussion Board topic containing your responses to the questions and your listed reference(s) in APA format
20 Points Your responses to two other students' Discussion Board posts
In your own words, please post a response to the Discussion Board and comment on other postings. You will be graded on the quality of your postings.
Response to Classmates posts:
Classmate #1 post:
Attempt at Eliminating Discrimination
After the civil war, the African American, Hispanics and minorities suffered great discrimination in the workplace in particular and life generally. Precisely during the 1960s these groups went through denial of employment or appropriate wages irrespective of their standard of education being higher than that of their majority counterparts. There was a great debate about discrimination on the basis of color, race, gender or religion. Over the years, some programs have been developed in order to handle or to try and e.
The main characters in Tay Garnetts film The Postman Always Rings.docxSUBHI7
The main characters in Tay Garnett's film
The Postman Always Rings Twice
and the Coen Brothers'
The Man Who
Wasn't There
follow a pattern of behavior that is inane and ultimately self-destructive, as can be seen in how they end up -- either dead, wrongly accused and imprisoned for a crime they didn't commit, or ironically not convicted for a crime they did commit. What do you think these films are saying about the pattern of behavior they followed to get them where they wound up in the end, as well as why they followed these patterns of behavior in the first place? In other words, what is the way of thinking or belief system that lead to these characters' behaviors, and what does the film tell us about this way of thinking or belief system? And finally, does the film propose an alternative way of thinking or life narrative that might have proven more salutory for these characters in the end?
.
The minimum length for this assignment is 2,000 words and MUST inclu.docxSUBHI7
The minimum length for this assignment is 2,000 words and MUST include in-text citation and references.
Discoveries in DNA, cell biology, evolution, biotechnology have been among the major achievements in biology over the past 200 years with accelerated discoveries and insights over the last 50 years. Consider the progress we have made in these areas of human knowledge. Present at least three of the discoveries you find to be most important and describe their significance to society, health, and the culture of modern life.
.
The mafia is a well organized enterprise that deals with drugs, pros.docxSUBHI7
The mafia is a well-organized criminal enterprise that deals in illegal activities like drugs, prostitution, and loan sharking. They also operate legal cash businesses to launder money from illegal operations. Ponzi schemes are another type of organized criminal racket. Members caught participating in these activities can be charged under the RICO Act.
The minimum length for this assignment is 1,500 words. Be sure to ch.docxSUBHI7
The minimum length for this assignment is 1,500 words. Be sure to check your Turnitin report for your post and to make corrections before the deadline of 11:59 pm Mountain Time of the due date to avoid lack of originality problems in your work.
Describe the historical pattern of growth of the worldwide human population since our origin. Include in this historic overview the changes that have happened technologically, medically, culturally and nutritionally to result in major population changes over time. Relate the growth of the human population to our ecological footprint and explain the idea of limits to population growth known as the carrying capacity. Relative to carrying capacity, what may result from unbridled continued growth of our population? How does the size of the human population contribute to environmental degradation? Why must we take the human population size into account when we attempt to develop environmental restoration projects?
Assignment 2 Grading Criteria
Maximum Points
Quality of initial posting:
Initial posting should reveal a solid understanding of all aspects of the task; use factual and relevant information;
and
demonstratefull development of concepts.
80
Connections and higher order thinking:
Multiple connections should be demonstrated showing a clear understanding of the material with clear and correct examples.
40
Reference to supporting readings:
Refer to and properly cite (i.e., APA) either course and/or outside readings.
40
Language and Grammar:
There should be no spelling, structure, or grammatical errors in any posting. Writing should be clear and organized.
40
Total:
200
.
The madrigal was a very popular musical genre in the Renaissance. Ex.docxSUBHI7
The madrigal was a very popular musical genre in the Renaissance. Explain in detail the madrigal, and include the instrumentation, (the number and type of voices used), and the musical elements that the composers used to make the text in the pieces come alive. Choose one of the musical examples of the madrigal in this unit: Arcadelt�s
II bianco e dolce cigno
, or John Farmer�s
Fair Phyllis
, and explain how the composer unites the poetry and music.
Your response should be at least 200 words in length. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.
.
Chapter wise All Notes of First year Basic Civil Engineering.pptxDenish Jangid
Chapter wise All Notes of First year Basic Civil Engineering
Syllabus
Chapter-1
Introduction to objective, scope and outcome the subject
Chapter 2
Introduction: Scope and Specialization of Civil Engineering, Role of civil Engineer in Society, Impact of infrastructural development on economy of country.
Chapter 3
Surveying: Object Principles & Types of Surveying; Site Plans, Plans & Maps; Scales & Unit of different Measurements.
Linear Measurements: Instruments used. Linear Measurement by Tape, Ranging out Survey Lines and overcoming Obstructions; Measurements on sloping ground; Tape corrections, conventional symbols. Angular Measurements: Instruments used; Introduction to Compass Surveying, Bearings and Longitude & Latitude of a Line, Introduction to total station.
Levelling: Instrument used Object of levelling, Methods of levelling in brief, and Contour maps.
Chapter 4
Buildings: Selection of site for Buildings, Layout of Building Plan, Types of buildings, Plinth area, carpet area, floor space index, Introduction to building byelaws, concept of sun light & ventilation. Components of Buildings & their functions, Basic concept of R.C.C., Introduction to types of foundation
Chapter 5
Transportation: Introduction to Transportation Engineering; Traffic and Road Safety: Types and Characteristics of Various Modes of Transportation; Various Road Traffic Signs, Causes of Accidents and Road Safety Measures.
Chapter 6
Environmental Engineering: Environmental Pollution, Environmental Acts and Regulations, Functional Concepts of Ecology, Basics of Species, Biodiversity, Ecosystem, Hydrological Cycle; Chemical Cycles: Carbon, Nitrogen & Phosphorus; Energy Flow in Ecosystems.
Water Pollution: Water Quality standards, Introduction to Treatment & Disposal of Waste Water. Reuse and Saving of Water, Rain Water Harvesting. Solid Waste Management: Classification of Solid Waste, Collection, Transportation and Disposal of Solid. Recycling of Solid Waste: Energy Recovery, Sanitary Landfill, On-Site Sanitation. Air & Noise Pollution: Primary and Secondary air pollutants, Harmful effects of Air Pollution, Control of Air Pollution. . Noise Pollution Harmful Effects of noise pollution, control of noise pollution, Global warming & Climate Change, Ozone depletion, Greenhouse effect
Text Books:
1. Palancharmy, Basic Civil Engineering, McGraw Hill publishers.
2. Satheesh Gopi, Basic Civil Engineering, Pearson Publishers.
3. Ketki Rangwala Dalal, Essentials of Civil Engineering, Charotar Publishing House.
4. BCP, Surveying volume 1
Philippine Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) CurriculumMJDuyan
(𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝟏𝟎𝟎) (𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟏)-𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐬
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐏𝐏 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬:
- Understand the goals and objectives of the Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) curriculum, recognizing its importance in fostering practical life skills and values among students. Students will also be able to identify the key components and subjects covered, such as agriculture, home economics, industrial arts, and information and communication technology.
𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫:
-Define entrepreneurship, distinguishing it from general business activities by emphasizing its focus on innovation, risk-taking, and value creation. Students will describe the characteristics and traits of successful entrepreneurs, including their roles and responsibilities, and discuss the broader economic and social impacts of entrepreneurial activities on both local and global scales.
How to Make a Field Mandatory in Odoo 17Celine George
In Odoo, making a field required can be done through both Python code and XML views. When you set the required attribute to True in Python code, it makes the field required across all views where it's used. Conversely, when you set the required attribute in XML views, it makes the field required only in the context of that particular view.
Level 3 NCEA - NZ: A Nation In the Making 1872 - 1900 SML.pptHenry Hollis
The History of NZ 1870-1900.
Making of a Nation.
From the NZ Wars to Liberals,
Richard Seddon, George Grey,
Social Laboratory, New Zealand,
Confiscations, Kotahitanga, Kingitanga, Parliament, Suffrage, Repudiation, Economic Change, Agriculture, Gold Mining, Timber, Flax, Sheep, Dairying,
This document provides an overview of wound healing, its functions, stages, mechanisms, factors affecting it, and complications.
A wound is a break in the integrity of the skin or tissues, which may be associated with disruption of the structure and function.
Healing is the body’s response to injury in an attempt to restore normal structure and functions.
Healing can occur in two ways: Regeneration and Repair
There are 4 phases of wound healing: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. This document also describes the mechanism of wound healing. Factors that affect healing include infection, uncontrolled diabetes, poor nutrition, age, anemia, the presence of foreign bodies, etc.
Complications of wound healing like infection, hyperpigmentation of scar, contractures, and keloid formation.
A Visual Guide to 1 Samuel | A Tale of Two HeartsSteve Thomason
These slides walk through the story of 1 Samuel. Samuel is the last judge of Israel. The people reject God and want a king. Saul is anointed as the first king, but he is not a good king. David, the shepherd boy is anointed and Saul is envious of him. David shows honor while Saul continues to self destruct.
1. Week 4 - Journal
Start Assignment
Groupthink
Define groupthink. Describe how groupthink can get in the way
of problem solving in groups. How can groupthink be avoided?
Describe an experience that you might have had with
groupthink, and describe the associated challenges you have
faced solving problems in a group. How did the situation get
resolved?
Your reflective journal entry should contain 450-750 words.
Week 4 - Assignment
Annotated Bibliography and Final Paper Topic Choice
My topic: Benefits and qualities of groups in human services
This final paper preparation assignment will require the
following:
· State your topic choice for the Final Paper and explain why
you chose it. (1 paragraph)
· Provide a brief summary of what you plan to research about
your topic. For example, in-depth paper might require regarding
the pros and cons of INFJ MBTI personality type in groups
compared to ISTJ personality types in groups, while an in-
breadth topic might examine 16 MBTI personality types
interacting in groups. (1 paragraph)
· Explain what you hope to learn through the experience. (1
paragraph)
· Compile an annotated bibliography, which will consist of no
fewer than eight scholarly resources that are less than 6 years
old, with the exception that you may include no more than two
older articles that are widely recognized as seminal or classic
works. Click here to view a list of topics and topic
categoriesDownload Click here to view a list of topics and topic
2. categories, one of which may provide a useful starting point for
your Final Paper topic selection.
Review the following guidelines regarding how to create an
annotated bibliography in APA style, 6th edition:
References
Moya, E. M., Chávez-Baray, S. M., Martínez, O., & Aguirre-
Polanco, A. (2016). Exploring Intimate Partner Violence and
Sexual Health Needs in the Southwestern United States:
Perspectives from Health and Human Services Workers. Health
& Social Work, 41(1), e29–e37. https://doi-org.proxy-
library.ashford.edu/10.1093/hsw/hlv080
Watts, L., Schoder, M., & Hodgson, D. (2018). The Experiences
of Human Service Managers in Contexts of Change and
Uncertainty. Australian Social Work, 71(3), 306–318.
https://doi-org.proxy-
library.ashford.edu/10.1080/0312407X.2018.1448093
Bowman, L. G., Hardesty, S. L., Sigurdsson, S. O., McIvor, M.,
Orchowitz, P. M., Wagner, L. L., & Hagopian, L. P. (2019).
Utilizing group-based contingencies to increase hand washing in
a large human service setting. Behavior Analysis in
Practice, 12(3), 600–611. https://doi-org.proxy-
library.ashford.edu/10.1007/s40617-018-00328-z
Maier, C. T. (2016). Beyond Branding: Van Riel and Fombrun’s
Corporate Communication Theory in the Human Services
Sector. Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 17(1),
27–35. https://doi-org.proxy-
library.ashford.edu/10.1080/17459435.2015.1088892
Ricciardi, J. N., Rothschild, A. W., Driscoll, N. M., Crawley, J.,
Wanganga, J., Fofanah, D. A., & Luiselli, J. K. (2020). Social
validity assessment of behavior data recording among human
services care providers. Behavioral Interventions, 35(3), 458–
466. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1002/bin.1730
Jaramillo, E. T., Willging, C. E., Green, A. E., Gunderson, L.
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The Experiences of Human Service Managers in Contexts of
Change and Uncertainty
Lynelle Wattsa, Michele Schoderb, and David Hodgsona
aSchool of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University,
Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia; bSchool of
Business and Law, Edith Cowan University, Bunbury, Western
Australia, Australia
ABSTRACT
Against a background of rapid and widespread changes to the
delivery of human services and social welfare, this paper
reports
on a study into the experiences of managers of human services
organisations. Within an interpretive methodology, the research
utilised focus group and interview methods to examine the
relevance and need for business, finance, and management skills
from the perspective of managers in the human services. Results
4. indicate that managers of human service organisations need
advanced business, management, and finance skills to deal with
change and uncertainty in contemporary and competitive service
environments.
IMPLICATIONS
. Human service organisations in Australia are subject to change
and uncertainty with new models of funding and increased
accountability.
. Social workers employed as managers are under pressure to
lead
sustainable and accountable services, while still holding to
social
work principles.
. Social workers who manage organisations face a challenge of
how to integrate business, management, and finance skills with
the values and mission of social work.
ARTICLE HISTORY
Received 19 July 2017
Accepted 27 November 2017
KEYWORDS
Social Work; Human Service
Organisations; Management;
Neoliberalism
This paper reports on a study into the practices of business,
management, and finance
skills in human service organisations (HSO) and situates these
within a context of rapid
and widespread changes to the delivery of human services and
social welfare. Human
6. skills and knowledge in the delivery and management of HSOs
from the perspective of
a sample of managers from the South West region of Western
Australia, who have a
prior background in direct practice with service users. The
research question was: What
business, financial, and management skills and knowledge are
relevant in human
service management practice?
Contexts of Change and Uncertainty
Welfare states encompass “ … education, health care, income
maintenance, housing, and
personal care” (Hills, 2011, p. 590). It is common to discuss
welfare as a mixed economy
that has four different sectors: public (government institutions),
commercial (for-profit
enterprises), not-for-profit (charities, self-help groups, faith
groups), and informal
(friends, families, households) (Brejning, 2016). Many human
services in Australia are
delivered “at arm’s length [from government] … through largely
autonomous and infor-
mal charities” (Murphy, 2006, p. 449), while employment and
wage arbitration are the
main mechanism for delivering universal welfare benefits.
However, the welfare states of many countries have undergone
substantial and contin-
ual changes over the last 40 years (Healy, 2002), which has
been ascribed to the adoption
of neoliberalism (Connell et al., 2009) and its impact on service
provision and pro-
fessionals within these systems (Wallace & Pease, 2011).
Connell et al. (2009) described
7. neoliberalism as “the project of economic and social
transformation under the sign of
the free market” (p. 331). All welfare states across the world
bear the brunt of a neoliberal
market economy that impacts national options for the
arrangement and delivery of ser-
vices (Esping-Andersen, 1996; Evans, 2011), such as:
reductions in tax; defunding of
social programs, particularly universal programs; and, shifting
responsibility for welfare
service delivery to nongovernment organisations (Abramovitz &
Zelnick, 2015). The
result has been that the welfare states of many countries have
witnessed a diminished
funding environment from government, putting pressure on
already scarce resources
(Abramovitz & Zelnick, 2015; Germak, 2015).
In Australia, this represented a marked change that began as
early as the 1970s
(Murphy, 2010) and social workers and services have been
grappling with these
changes since. These arrangements changed further with the
opening up of the Australian
economy in the 1980s leading to deregulation and downward
pressure on wages (Capling,
Considine, & Crozier, 1998; Murphy, 2006). Government
involvement in welfare delivery
(through funding) and noninvolvement (through contracting and
outsourcing to not-for-
profit providers) significantly changed the Australian welfare
landscape (Wright, Marston,
& McDonald, 2011).
Acknowledging the operating differences between the private
and public sector gave
8. rise to the term new public management (Healy, 2009). With
NPM came the adoption
of practices from business to the human service sector,
heralding a “shift from confor-
mance to performance” (Seden, Matthews, McCormick, &
Morgan, 2010, p. 18). The
adoption of neoliberalism led to the widespread economisation
of social life, where the
boundaries between state and private capital interests have
blurred (Whitehead &
AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL WORK 307
Crawshaw, 2014, p. 28). A generally accepted concept of
neoliberalism as antithetical to
the development of a well-resourced and functioning social
service sector poses significant
challenges for social workers who may seek to creatively resist
its impact on social and
economic life (Gray, Dean, Agllias, Howard, & Schubert, 2015).
Social workers inhabiting
these “operating spaces” (Whitehead & Crawshaw, 2014, p. 28)
often find themselves in
relationships characterised more by commodification than
ethics. Whitehead and
Crawshaw (2014, p. 29) suggested that “What is being played
out and affecting the
social and moral substance of organisational existence is the
transference of legitimate
power from the public sphere into a marketised private domain
where capital is the
driving force of change”. Marketisation is “the political and
socio-economic process
whereby whole areas of social life that were once kept beyond
9. the reach of the market
by governments have been opened up to market forces” (Wilson,
Ruch, Lymbery, &
Cooper, 2008 cited in Lawler & Bilson, 2010, p. 12). The effect
of these changes is that
the Australian welfare sector has had to engage—albeit with
reluctance and some resist-
ance—the influence of business management practices in the
human services.
By the 2000s this trend was well underway in Australia’s mixed
welfare economy with
the growing emergence of profit-motivated enterprises into what
was traditionally a pro-
tected not-for-profit sector. The welfare sector experienced
increasing government budget
rationalisation, changes in funding models, and aggressive
competition from new profit-
motivated businesses occurring in the context of an ageing and
predominately female
workforce (Fitzgerald, Rainnie, Goods, & Morris, 2014; Healy
& Lonne, 2010). More
recent changes include the prevalence of user-pays models of
service, and social entrepre-
neurialism. Berzin (2012) noted that these models emerge from
closer relationships
between business and social policy, pointing out that while
impacted, social work is
largely absent from shaping this development. Yet, Germak and
Singh (2009) argued
that social work is in a unique position to pursue a “hybrid of
social work macro practice
principles and business innovation activities” (p. 79). Dees and
Anderson (2003, p. 16)
contend that there is significant “sector-bending”, which blurs
the lines between commer-
10. cial, government, and non-profit enterprises and organisations.
In summary, business
acumen has become increasingly important to human services
managers across the sector.
Human Service Organisations
Given the mixed nature of the sector, it is important to define
the kinds of organisations
that are in focus here. Hughes and Wearing (2013) suggested
that human service organ-
isations (HSOs) are typically organised to meet human needs,
based in values and morals
about what is good and right, authorised by social policies, and
measured in relation to
interactions between “service users and workers” (p. 14). The
Australian human services
workforce is diverse in terms of profession and levels of
qualifications, because the welfare
sector is largely self-regulated, and in some areas unregulated
with regard to qualifications.
Social work, for example, represents a significant profession
within the welfare state
because it is one of only three distinctly human service
professions that require tertiary
qualifications (Healy & Lonne, 2010).
As the welfare sector has had to adapt to the changing
environment, so too have human
service workers and managers, who are experiencing an
increasing need to adapt to
business practices in order to compete for funding against
commercial for-profit
308 L. WATTS ET AL.
11. enterprises (Germak & Singh, 2009). It is not uncommon for
social work managers to be
recruited from practice roles, yet uncommon for managers to
have undertaken formal
postgraduate training in business. In light of this, recent
research has begun to explore
the transition of practicing social workers into management.
Knee (2014) found that
social workers who move to management roles face
considerable challenges in transition-
ing to new roles, such as integrating new perspectives,
responsibilities, and skills. Hurst
and Hurst (2017) contend that such transitions demand a
“paradigm shift” (p. 438) to
a different mindset, somewhat removed from the familiar
routines of direct practice.
Others (Austin, Regan, Gothard, & Carnochan, 2013) proposed
a conceptual model for
developing a management and leadership identity, one that
implies considerable identity
work as well as skills development and ongoing reflection and
learning.
Yet, business and management concepts and social
administration rarely feature in a
meaningful way in social work curricula (Gilliam, Chandler, Al -
Hajjaj, Mooney, &
Vakalahi, 2016). Goldkind and Pardasani (2013) suggest that as
the need for social
workers with these skills has become more urgent, the numbers
of students who
express an interest in careers in social administration has fallen.
Promoting from within
the field can be difficult due to a lack of investment in
12. succession planning as well as
the “high level of burnout among supervisory and case
management social workers”
(Gilliam et al., 2017, p. 334). There is also the question of
whether the practice skills of
human services professionals, including social workers, is
sufficient for general leadership
and managerial purposes (Shanks, Lundström, & Bergmark,
2014). It is from within this
context that this study is situated.
Methodology
This is an exploratory and interpretive study (Blaikie, 2004)
that explores the experiences
of human services managers about the role of business, finance,
and management skills
and knowledge in their practice. Theoretically, the study is
placed within a symbolic inter-
actionist perspective. It was guided by Blumer’s notions of
exploration and inspection
(Williams, 2008) and included different but overlapping stages.
Exploration refers to
the development of familiarity with the topic at hand (Williams,
2008). Familiarity was
developed through a number of activities. As a research team
we utilised reflexive discus-
sion (Gilmore & Kenny, 2015) to explore the different
disciplinary knowledges of the
topic. This was important as the research team was made up of
researchers from both
social work and business disciplines. Second, we engaged with
literatures from business
and social work to build familiarity with ways to conceptualise
business, management,
and finance skills and knowledge in the human services. Third,
13. we recruited six partici-
pants from the human services sector to participate in a single
focus group.
Participants in the focus group were asked to discuss and
exchange views on the three
key concepts in the research question (i.e., business, finance,
management). They were also
asked to identify and describe what skills and knowledge are
indicated in these areas, and
second, explore the reasons or contextual drivers for these in
their practice and in their
organisations. This resulted in data that produced a descriptive
account of certain skills
and knowledge domains, but also some critical commentary on
the nature and context
of HSOs generally, such as current tensions, complexities, and
uncertainties in practice.
Three of these participants completed a follow-up interview on
the basis that they had
AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL WORK 309
expressed particular views considered by the research team as
warranting further explora-
tion. Given the small sample, the scope of the study is
necessarily exploratory, seeking to
identify key concepts and points of relevancy that could inform
the basis of larger studies.
Participants
Participants were recruited through the networks of the research
team based on predeter-
14. mined criteria (Emmel, 2013). These criteria included:
(1) Participants to be employed in an HSO that provides
community and social services.
HSOs may include government, nongovernment, not-for-profit,
and private practice.
(2) Participants to be employed in a management or leadership
role where they have sig-
nificant responsibility for the organisation’s operations.
Examples include director,
CEO, coordinator, or manager.
(3) All participants to have at least 5 years professional
background working in HSOs in
social work, welfare, community work, counselling, or
equivalent roles.
The study had institutional university ethics approval and
participants gave their
consent to participate in writing. Six participants were recruited
for the focus group,
which was recorded and transcribed. Three individual
unstructured qualitative interviews
were undertaken with participants who had participated in the
focus group. The inter-
views averaged 45 minutes and were transcribed. The six—four
male and two female—
participants represented nongovernment, government, not-for-
profit, and for-profit
organisations. Participants from the sample were (1) CEO (large
NGO), (2) operations
manager (government department), (3) team leader (large NGO),
(4) private practitioner
(manager of private practice), (5 and 6) site managers (from
different multisite NGOs).
15. The minimum qualification held by participants was a
bachelor’s degree; three of the par-
ticipants had a masters qualification. Four were social work
qualified and two held quali-
fications in a cognate discipline (psychology and theology).
Data Analysis: Inspection
The second aspect of Blumer’s (Williams, 2008, p. 6) phases
involves inspection of data
collected during the exploration phase. Data included notes
from meetings between the
research team, transcripts of interview data, and spreadsheets
used for coding. All
members of the research team were included in the exploration
and inspection phases
of the research.
Definitions for business, management, and finance were
established as part of the
exploration phase. Business skills were defined as knowledge
aimed at the allocation of
resources to achieve specific outcomes for an enterprise
(Branagan, 2009). These
include strategy, using delegations and authority, sourcing
funding, networking, and col-
laborating. Management refers to the attainment of
organisational goals through: plan-
ning, organising, leading and controlling organisational
resources (Samson & Daft,
2015). Finance skills are defined as the “art and science of
managing money” (Gitman,
Juchau, & Jack, 2011, p. 4). This includes making decisions
about money and understand-
ing and tracking cash flow and its relation to organisational
objectives.
16. 310 L. WATTS ET AL.
Data analysis proceeded with each team member reading and
undertaking open coding
(Saldaña, 2012) with the transcripts of the focus group and
interviews. The resulting open
codes were discussed by the research team. Notes were taken of
this discussion and agree-
ment was reached on the focus for a second cycle of coding,
which included coding for
business, management, and finance skills directly. Two team
members coded the
second stage under these categories and then the whole team
met again to discuss the
results. The results of the analysis are reported below.
Findings and Discussion
We’re about to undergo some of the most significant changes in
the human services in the
next 5 years with the introduction of large for profit [services].
(Comment from focus group)
Bring out any graduate of any human services course that is
business savvy, they’re going to
be in demand. (Comment from focus group)
This section summarises the results by highlighting the skills
that participants reported on
when asked about business, management, and finance in the
context of their management
roles in HSOs. Key skills identified as codes from the data are
presented in Table 1.
17. Participants went beyond reporting on the skills in Table 1 and
provided information
that contextualised these in relation to their work. A summary
of the reasons for the skills
and the context that drives them are outlined below. The results
and discussion are organ-
ised under the three main concepts of this study and we consider
the implications in
relation to other literature.
Business
When asked about what business means in relation to their work
and their roles, partici-
pants articulated the need to build and maintain effective and
well-functioning services.
This idea relates back to the concept of business discussed
earlier, which concerns orien-
tating efforts and resources towards achieving specific
outcomes. In this respect, the
business impetus here is not so much to create profit, but to
meet increasing levels of
Table 1 Concepts of Business, Management and Finance Skills
Business Management Finance
Strategic thinking, vision, developing
new services
People skills, communication, conflict
resolution
Understanding the funding
environment
18. Tender writing, procurement Self-awareness (reflection)
Financial planning
Understanding governance, legislation Emotional intelligence,
social
intelligence
Generating and managing financial
resources
Working with boards and committees Recruitment skills, staff
development
and training
Developing and managing budgets
Due diligence, delegations, proper
process
OSH knowledge Connecting budgets to strategic
purposes
Marketing, networking, collaboration Time management
Utilising others’ expertise (finance,
administration)
IT skills
Flexibility, creativity, adaptability, open-
mindedness
Managing change
Leadership and innovation
AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL WORK 311
19. accountability and to foster organisational functionality,
including financial sustainability
(Jones & Mucha, 2014) and meeting accreditation standards
(Carman & Fredericks, 2013).
Business skills translated to an HSO context include strategic
thinking, creating and
pursuing a coherent vision, and developing new services and
new initiatives. Relatedly,
marketing skills, networking, and collaboration with other
services and stakeholders
were argued as necessary for developing a service focus, and for
maintaining a sustainable
enterprise in an increasingly competitive environment. For
example:
… you’ve also got to understand marketing and work out “what
sort of marketing strategy
am I going to have, what sort of communication channels am I
going to push, what sort
of services am I going to develop and who am I going to target
these services to and
what’s a price point for these particular services?” (Comment
from focus group)
The participants noted that a business focus meant skills in
“good governance” and an
ability to “interpret and apply relevant legislation” to the
management and development of
services. For example:
… once you start to move into leadership positions, you need to
be able to understand
business. You need to be able to understand the legal IR
[industrial relations] implications
in a way we’ve never had to face before. (Interview participant)
20. At an applied level, this requires abilities to work with Boards
and Committees, and to
exercise due diligence in following delegations and procedural
accountability. The latter
was deemed particularly important for human resources (HR)
demands that arise from
increased casualisation and short-term employment churn. The
working life of a social
worker seems to be shorter than other health professions
(Curtis, Moriarty, & Netten,
2010), and supporting newly qualified workers is essential for
promoting “job satisfaction
and workforce retention” (Healy, Harrison, & Foster, 2015, p.
8). Hence, in a context of
workforce change, skills in managing staff recruitment,
retention, and turnover are needed.
Participants also outlined why these business skills are
demanded of human service
workers in management roles. The rationale concerned the need
to be more adaptable,
flexible, and responsive to widespread and far reaching changes
in the funding and
policy environment due to continual uncertainty and change.
These changes are the
result of the marketisation of the welfare state (Rainnie,
Fitzgerald, Gilchrist, & Morris,
2012; Spies-Butcher, 2014), which includes increasing targeted
eligibility testing
(Garthwaite, Bambra, Warren, Kasim, & Greig, 2014), the
transformative influence of neo-
liberalism on the state (Spies-Butcher, 2014), and the space–
time compression of late
modernity (Hughes & Wearing, 2013, p. 51). Participants spoke
of the pressure to gain
21. a competitive edge just to maintain financial viability and
sustainability of their services
and organisations. Further background to this is increased
competition, dwindling
resources, and increased levels of accountability from funding
entities. This includes out-
sourcing (Rainnie et al., 2012) and the push for not-for-profit
organisations to become
more businesslike (Considine, O’Sullivan, & Nguyen, 2014).
Management
When asked about management, participants framed their
responses in terms of “people
skills”, such as excellence in communication, conflict
resolution, and leadership to effec-
tively manage workplace conflict and grievances—including
managing the many
312 L. WATTS ET AL.
industrial problems that are generated by a casualised
workforce. Relatedly, participants
outlined the place of social and emotional intelligence, self-
awareness, and reflection
(Lawler & Bilson, 2010) as comprising subsets to
communication and management
skills. Reflective practice (Fook & Gardner, 2007) and social
and emotional intelligence
(Morrison, 2007) are attracting increasing interest in the social
work and organisational
and leadership literature (Cherniss, 2010). One interview
participant commented, “I see
that in myself or managers around the organisation and the ones
22. who actually have
that ability to self-reflect … so the ones who have higher
emotional intelligence or self-
awareness are much better managers”.
Participants reported that good management demands
knowledge and skills in the
areas of “occupational health and safety”, “information
technology”, and “time manage-
ment”. Furthermore, management requires knowledge and skills
in “staff recruitment”,
and “staff development” and “training”.
It was clear that there was pressure to “manage change,
complexity and uncertainty”.
For example, “ … it’s so turbulent though and we predict very
turbulent times through
maybe the next 5 maybe, 10 years. So if our staff can learn
anything it’s around change
management” (comment from focus group).
Lawler and Bilson (2010) argued that services are under
pressure to cope with the
uncertainty that is an artefact of widespread organisational
transformation amidst the
coalescing of “public services and private, corporate,
commercial and third sector inter-
ests” (Whitehead & Crawshaw, 2014, p. 26). Hence, the ability
to be flexible, creative,
adaptable, and open-minded was also reported by participants as
necessary requisites
for good management.
Change and uncertainty places demands on managers and
leaders to build a positive,
optimistic, and functioning work culture and climate
23. (Schneider, Ehrhart, & MacEy,
2013). Change also requires managers to develop effective and
well-functioning systems
to meet the demands for sustainability and viability. The
context of change was a key
force that necessitated strong communication, management, and
people skills and was a
significant theme overall.
Finance
Finance concerns making decisions about money and resources.
It was clear that questions
concerning finance exercises considerable mental energy of
HSO managers. This is
because financial management and accountability occupies a
substantial place in the
market models underpinning the operations of modern HSOs
(Rainnie et al., 2012). At
the same time, participants reported that they were neither
trained nor adequately pre-
pared for what would be demanded of them in comprehending
and responding to finan-
cial matters in their roles, “ … it’s a massive part of the job,
financial management, and I
have to admit I had no skills coming into it” (comment from
focus group).
Healy (2002) noted that social workers may be excluded from
occupying management
positions, which is “of concern because it compromises their
capacity to exercise pro-
fessional leadership and decision-making in the organizations
that employ them”
(p. 528). Yet, many HSO workers—including social workers—
receive little financial man-
24. agement training in their foundational education. Participants
had clear views on what
financial skills and knowledge are required of managers in
HSOs, saying that they
AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL WORK 313
should at least know how to “develop, read and manage a
budget”. It was reported that
although HSO managers may utilise the financial expertise of
others, they still need finan-
cial literacy if they are to action critical financial decisions .
Participants contended that
HSO managers need to be able to “connect budgets and resource
allocation to strategic
and operational imperatives”, and engage in concerted
“financial planning”—the latter
of which demands skills in “understanding the funding
environment”. An interview par-
ticipant said, “ … in this role you wouldn’t be able to operate if
you were really not looking
at the bigger organisation and where it sits within a political
context and a financial
context.”
Sectoral change, funding uncertainty, and high levels of
governmental accountability
for fiscal reporting were seen as substantial drivers for well -
developed financial skills in
HSO management and leadership. This need for skills in
budgeting has been recognised
by the Network for Social Work Managers and the Council on
Social Work Education
(CSWE) (Gilliam et al., 2017). The move towards market-based
25. funding models and
increasing competition for scarce resources is said to drive
imperatives towards organis-
ational efficiency and financial sustainability (Fitzgerald et al.,
2014; Rainnie et al.,
2012). Participants noted the importance of developing an asset
and financial base that
may be protective during funding shortfalls or changes in policy
from different govern-
ment and social service priorities. For example:
… we’ll get paid on delivery, we’ll get paid on outcome, and it
was said probably 18 to 24
months ago that your best friend in a community organisation is
going to be your bank
manager, because you’re going to be highly reliant on lines of
credit, or you’re going to be
looking for for-profits or entities who are going to invest on a
guarantee of return. (Interview
participant)
This imperative towards asset building and financial surety
requires a depth of financial
modelling and planning. This responsibility tends to sit within a
relationship amongst
managers, …
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Utilizing Group-Based Contingencies to Increase Hand Washing
in a Large Human Service Setting
Lynn G. Bowman1,2 & Samantha L. Hardesty1,3 & Sigurdur O.
Sigurdsson3 & Melissa McIvor1 & Phillip M. Orchowitz1 &
26. Leaora L. Wagner1 & Louis P. Hagopian1,2
Published online: 23 January 2019
# Association for Behavior Analysis International 2019
Abstract
Hand washing is the most important preventative measure for
the reduction of contagious disease. Although hand washing is
easy
to perform, non-adherence is a ubiquitous problem. Several
studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of multi-component
intervention packages to improve hand washing among
employees; however, interventions are limited to acute settings,
are often
implemented for a short period of time, and rarely, if ever,
include information on long-term effectiveness. The purpose of
the
current study was to utilize a behavior analytic approach to
determine the stimulus conditions under which hand washing
should
occur, and to assess and then implement a long-term monitoring
system among direct care workers in a large, non-acute
inpatient
unit. A single-case repeated measures reversal design was used
to evaluate the effectiveness of two interventions aimed at
improving hand washing adherence. A lottery was found to be
effective in increasing hand hygiene for 2-years with 170 staff.
Keywords Hand washing . OBM . Lottery . Standard precautions
. Stimulus control
In human service and health care settings, the importance of
patient safety has received considerable attention, and one of
the highest priority goals set forth by the World Health
Organization (WHO) was to reduce hospital-acquired infections
(Gould, Drey, Moralejo, Grimshaw, & Chudleigh, 2008). Hand
27. washing is a relatively simple behavior to perform and is the
single most important preventative measure for the reduction of
contagious disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[CDC], 2016). A meta-analysis of the effects of hand hygiene
on infectious disease risk showed that improved hand-hygiene
resulted in decreased rates of gastrointestinal and respiratory
illnesses (Aiello, Coulbourn, Perez, & Larson, 2008). Despite
its importance, health care workers often fail to practice good
hand hygiene practices and adherence to best practice
guidelines
remain poor (e.g., Universal Precautions [UP] from
Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA],
1999; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016; The
Joint Commission [TJC], 2009). A review of 96 empirical arti -
cles found the median adherence rate of healthcare workers to
be 40%, with lower adherence rates associated with high
activity
and those observations with which a physician was involved
(Erasmus et al., 2010). Given the importance of good hand
hygiene practices, and the consensus across studies that adher -
ence is poor, it is not surprising that hand hygiene continues to
be a focus of extensive research.
Antecedents for Hand Washing
Several studies have examined specific situations, sometimes
called indicators or critical antecedents that are likely to lead to
better hand hygiene practices in the absence of intervention
components. Across healthcare settings, antecedents identi-
fied by the CDC and WHO include: 1) before patient contact,
2) before starting an invasive procedure, 3) after contact with
blood, body fluids or excretions, mucous membranes, non-
intact skin, and wound dressings, 4) after removing gloves,
5) when moving from a contaminated patient body site to a
clean site during care, 6) after contact with inanimate objects
28. * Lynn G. Bowman
[email protected]
1 Neurobehavioral Unit, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 707 N.
Broadway,
Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
2 Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore,
MD, USA
3 University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD,
USA
Behavior Analysis in Practice (2019) 12:600–611
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-018-00328-z
or medical equipment close to the patient, and 7) after patient
contact (TJC, 2009).
It is important to note that antecedents for hand hygiene are
likely to differ from setting to setting and that staff adherence
may differ across antecedents. This variation in setting and
across antecedents suggests the need for an individualized
approach to the measurement of hand washing. For
example, Raboud et al. (2004) observed hand washing in a
small group of nurses employed on a hospital unit and found
that nurses were more likely to wash their hands follow ing
high risk situations (e.g., contact with bodily fluid or patient
skin) than for other reasons (e.g., contact with equipment).
Creedon (2005) found that hand washing practices were better
prior to the initiation of an invasive procedure, and at the onse t
of patient care, while Mayer, Dubbert, Miller, Burkett, and
Chapman (1986) found adherence following patient contact
to be the highest. The identification of organizational-specific
antecedents can lead to a more targeted intervention, which is
29. ultimately more successful, efficient, and cost effective.
Although hand washing is an observable behavior amena-
ble to the principles of applied behavior analysis, most re-
search on this topic has been published in journals dedicated
to medical and infection control practices (e.g., American
Journal of Infection Control, Infection Control and Hospital
Epidemiology, American Journal of Public Health,
Epidemiology). Notable exceptions include a few small N
studies published in behavioral science journals (e.g.,
Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, Journal
of Applied Behavioral Analysis). There is some agreement
with respect to the effectiveness of certain intervention com-
ponents. Specifically, educational interventions were found to
have a very short-term influence on hand hygiene behavior
(Dubbert, Dolce, Richter, Miller, & Chapman, 1990), and the
use of strategically placed reminders, or prompts from patients
and staff, have had only a modest effect on hand hygiene
adherence (Khatib, Ghassan, Abdallah, & Ibrahim, 1999).
Arranging the environment to make hand washing easier
(e.g., automated sinks, moisturized soaps) led to minimal im-
provements (Larson et al., 1991). Feedback on performance
was found to be successful at increasing hand washing, but if
delivered intermittently the effect was not maintained over -
time (Conly, Hill, Ross, Lertzman, & Louie, 1989; Mayer
et al., 1986). Multi-component approaches which combined
education with written materials, reminders, and continued
feedback seemed to have the most impact on good hand hy-
giene practices (Naikoba & Hayward, 2001).
Feedback is an effective and frequently used intervention in
the field of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM)
(VanStelle et al., 2012). With respect to increasing hand hy-
giene behaviors, various types of feedback were found to be
effective. DeVries, Burnette, and Redmon (1991) improved
glove usage among nurses using bi-weekly feedback sessions
30. consisting of goal setting and graphic feedback. Babcock,
Sulzer-Azaroff, and Sanderson (1992) improved the feedback
of hand hygiene practices by supervisory nurses with training,
weekly feedback meetings with goal setting, and letters of
recognition. Stephens and Ludwig (2005) found training, set-
ting group goals, and posting individualized-graphic feedback
effective at improving nurses’ adherence to UP. Finally, Luke
and Alavosius (2011) demonstrated the effectiveness of per -
sonalized performance feedback consisting of a combination
of verbal and written feedback across 3 health-care workers
and improvement maintained for several months following
the intervention.
Although performance feedback has been demonstrated to
be effective, there are limitations to the long-term implemen-
tation of such components, particularly for a behavior that
needs to occur with such frequency as hand washing. For
example, the training, time, and resources necessary to sustain
individualized-level performance feedback systems are likely
to be too cumbersome for most facilities to implement. For
example, Luke and Alavosius (2011) estimated that it took
approximately 250-man hours over 6 months to create mate-
rials, complete observer training, conduct observations, and
provide feedback for only 3 participants. Implementing a sim-
ilar program across more individuals, or within in a large
facility, may not be feasible.
Despite the effective strategies identified within these
multi-component hand hygiene programs, several gaps con-
tinue to exist within both behavioral and non-behavioral liter-
ature. First, little is known regarding the maintenance or long-
term effectiveness of multi-component, hospital-wide pro-
grams as follow-up data are rarely, if ever published.
Secondly, although frequent feedback (delivered either verbal -
ly, graphically, or a combination of the two) has been found to
31. be effective, little to no discussion has been made regarding
the resources (time, personnel, or associated costs) needed to
implement such a program, especially in large human service
settings. Interventions that are equally or more effective as
frequent feedback, as well as those that require fewer re-
sources and maintain over time, are needed.
A lottery system can provide an organization with the abil -
ity to provide reinforcers (monetary or non-monetary) on a
lean schedule of reinforcement without deleterious effects on
the intervention. Mayer et al. (2011) evaluated the use of a
multi-component intervention that included 1) in-service pre-
sentations, 2) one-on-one discussions with staff, 3) convenient
positioning of soap dispensers and sanitizers, 4) the formation
of a hand hygiene committee that monitored progress, and
who generated catchy ideas for posters, jingles, and motiva-
tors, and 5) delivery of motivators identified by a committee
paired with feedback on hand hygiene practices. Specifically,
feedback and reinforcement components were embedded
within a series of programs in which employees, trained as
hand hygiene monitors, “caught (hand washers) in the act” pg.
61 and immediately distributed incentives (i.e., chocolate bars,
Behav Analysis Practice (2019) 12:600–611 601
pizza party, and entry into monthly drawings) to those staff
observed washing their hands following identified anteced-
ents. The authors noted long-term and sustained improve-
ments in hand washing practices following this program.
However, a component analysis was not conducted to deter-
mine which intervention(s) were responsible for hand washing
improvement, and there was a lack of sufficient detail on how
incentives were identified, how frequently incentives needed
to be delivered to maintain effects, and whether or not hand
32. washing occurred in the absence of monitoring. Although
Mayer et al. (2011) did not describe the incentive component
in these terms, entry into a drawing is analogous to a lottery.
Although incentives and lottery systems are not frequently
used in organizational settings (notable exceptions include
Iwata, Bailey, Brown, Foshee, & Alpern, 1976; Luiselli
et al., 2009 and Miller, Carlson, & Sigurdsson, 2014), they
have been shown to be a low-cost option for motivating be-
havior of individuals in large participant pools.
The purpose of the current study was to extend the research
on hand hygiene practices by implementing a long-term mon-
itoring system on hand washing adherence among direct care
workers in a large, non-acute human service setting. Hand
washing adherence was measured following antecedents
outlined in hospital policies, and based on those results, a
lottery system was implemented to increase and sustain hand
washing for almost two years. In addition, the effects of ob-
server presence and observer absence on hand washing adher -
ence was measured.
Method
Participants and Setting
Participants included approximately 170 direct care staff (full -
time and part-time) employed on a 16-bed inpatient unit with-
in a rehabilitation hospital from September 2009 through
August 2011. A minimum requirement for this position was
a high-school diploma or equivalent (i.e., GED); though most
staff had some college (some college or bachelor’s degree,
85%; working on graduate degree, 6%; unknown or no col-
lege, 9%). The inpatient unit provided services to children and
young adults diagnosed with an intellectual and developmen-
tal disability (IDD) who exhibited severe behavioral prob-
lems. Patients resided on the unit for approximately 4-5
33. months, and the unit functioned more like a school/home en-
vironment than a typical hospital environment as the patients
were not physically ill, but rather were admitted due to a
severe behavior disorder. Patient behavioral intensity necessi -
tated a minimum of one-to-one direct care staffing during all
waking hours and staff worked day shifts (7:00 a.m. to 3:30
p.m.), evening shifts (3:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.), and night shifts
(11:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.). Many other employees entered the
unit during the day as well (e.g., nursing staff, supervisors,
behavioral treatment teams, faculty, physicians, etc.), and it
was not uncommon for approximately 120-150 staff to visit
the unit on any given day. However, data were only collected
on hand washing adherence of the direct care staff.
The inpatient unit was approximately 6,000 square feet
(557.42 m2). It consisted of one large open room and two
smaller, classroom-sized rooms. These common areas were
connected by a long hallway that was lined with 4 bedrooms
and 4 bathrooms. Unit supervisors had an office at the main
entrance of the unit. Direct care staff and patient dyads were
not permitted in bedrooms outside patient scheduled sleep
times, unless otherwise indicated in the behavioral plan (i.e.,
behavioral safety or medical need for isolation). In the large
common area there were enough couches, tables, and chairs to
accommodate most staff and patients. To facilitate hand wash-
ing, 10 sanitizer dispensers and 9 sinks with soap dispensers
were on the unit and were predominately located in the hall -
way and the common areas.
Procedure
A single-case repeated measures reversal design (ABCAC)
was used to evaluate the effectiveness of two interventi ons
aimed at improving hand washing adherence. Prior to baseline
and throughout the study, a traditional hospital-wide hand
34. hygiene campaign was in place. This program consisted of
annual competencies related to good hand hygiene practices
and posters reminding staff to “wash your hands” strategically
placed in the hospital (e.g., in bathrooms, on elevators).
During staff orientation on the inpatient unit, staff received
additional training on the importance of hand hygiene, ante-
cedents when hand washing was necessary, and staff respon-
sible for training new employees modeled appropriate hand
hygiene behavior.
Dependent Variable and Measurement
Data were collected by trained observers on staff adherence
with hand hygiene. Hand hygiene adherence was defined as:
1) using sanitizer (wall-mounted or portable), or 2) using soap
and water to wash hands. Five antecedents of hand washing
were identified based on hospital infection control policy prior
to the start of data collection, and hand washing adherence
was only monitored and documented following one of the
identified antecedents. Critical antecedents included: 1) enter -
ing the unit, 2) exiting the unit, 3) patient-to-patient contact
(before making contact with a new patient if contact was pre-
viously made with another patient), 4) after taking a patient to
the bathroom, and 5) before providing a patient with his or her
meal. During some antecedents (e.g., taking a patient to the
bathroom) staff was required to wear gloves; however, they
602 Behav Analysis Practice (2019) 12:600–611
were still required to wash their hands following glove
removal.
Codes were created on the data sheet to indicate the type of
hand washing observed (sanitizer, soap and water, portable
35. sanitizer, or none), and which of the 5 critical antecedents
was observed. If hand washing occurred within 3-5 s of one
of the antecedents, or before another antecedent occurred
(whichever came first), the staff person was scored as adhering
to hygiene policy (and specific type recorded). If hand wash-
ing did not occur, “none” was recorded. Given the large num-
ber of direct care staff that could potentially be observed dur -
ing an observation period, data were aggregated across obser -
vations of employees, and the percentage of adherence was
calculated by dividing the number of observations where ad-
herence was observed by the total number of observations
during each observation period. In addition, covert data col -
lectors recorded whether a supervisor associated with the lot-
tery program was within eyesight of an employee who en-
gaged in hand washing (supervisor present) or not within eye-
sight (supervisor absent).
Data were collected during planned observation periods
conducted at variable times and locations on the unit between
the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. Observation periods
ranged from approximately 15 min in duration to a maximum
of one hour. Data were only included if the data collector(s)
observed five or more critical antecedents within an observa-
tion period. On average, 10.22 critical antecedents were
scored (range 5–37 critical antecedents) per observation
period.
Observation Procedure Throughout the study, overt and co-
vert data monitoring was conducted on hand washing adher-
ence. During overt observation periods, data were collected by
one (or two when reliability data were collected) of three
trained observers, all of whom were supervisors of the direct
care staff. During these observations, the supervisors walked
around the hospital unit holding clipboards while collecting
data on direct care staff’s hand hygiene. During covert obser -
vation periods, data were collected by one (or two when reli -
36. ability data were collected) of four trained observers who were
not supervisory staff. Covert data collectors discretel y collect-
ed data while they were seemingly performing an assigned
task on the unit (e.g., interacting with a patient, replacing unit
materials, reviewing protocol changes, cleaning, and helping
with patients). Probably due to the large number of employees
on the unit at any given time, there was no indication that
direct care staff were aware that their hand hygiene behavior
was being observed covertly. During covert monitoring obser -
vations, supervisors who conducted overt data collection were
purposefully not present on the unit.
Because of the physical layout of the unit (a straight, wide
hallway lined with sinks and sanitizers connecting three large
common areas), all data collectors (overt and covert) were
easily able to view each other as well as observe the hand
washing behavior of multiple staff, often simultaneously.
Reliability Observations For both overt and covert observa-
tions, two observers made independent and simultaneous re-
cordings of hand washing across critical antecedent condi -
tions. To ensure data were collected on the same employee,
observers discretely signaled to each other (e.g., made eye
contact, nodded, or gestured) to indicate the onset of an ob-
servation. These observations were compared to establish ob-
servation reliability. Agreement was scored if both observers
denoted the: 1) same type of adherence or “none”, 2) the same
critical antecedent observed, 3) for the same individual and the
same observation time, 4) and whether the supervisor was
present or absent. A percentage was then calculated by divid-
ing the total number of observations in which agreement was
achieved by the total number of observations. Due to sched-
uling conflicts among the overt data collectors and many ob-
servations resulting in no data recorded (given five or more
critical antecedents were not observed), total reliability was
37. assessed for only 19% of overt observations and 26% of co-
vert observations. Agreement averaged 93% for hand hygiene
adherence (across all types of antecedents) during overt ob-
servations and 99% during covert observations.
Critical Antecedent Analysis It was hypothesized by the au-
thors that hand washing was likely to occur more often fol -
lowing some critical antecedents (e.g., after assisting a patient
in the bathroom) than following others (e.g., entering the unit).
Therefore, an analysis was conducted to measure adherence
following each critical antecedent. In total, 280 observations
were conducted across all antecedent conditions. All critical
antecedent analysis observations were conducted by the overt
data collectors. The purpose of this analysis was to inform
intervention planning. Standard hospital and unit practices
were in place during this phase as well as all subsequent
phases. In addition, prior to collecting data on hand washing,
a memo was read at all shift changes to direct care staff
reminding them of the importance of hand washing as well
as describing when staff should wash their hands.
Baseline Data obtained during the critical antecedent analysis
served as the initial baseline observations. During a return to
baseline phase, all direct care employees were informed by
memo that the lottery was no longer in effect. Staff was con-
gratulated for their improved hand hygiene adherence follow -
ing the critical antecedents. In addition, staff was encouraged
to keep up the good work and reminded of the critical ante-
cedents in which hand washing should occur.
Antecedent-Based Intervention The antecedent-based inter-
vention involved the provision of portable hand sanitizer bot-
tles to direct care staff. Bottles were distributed to staff during
Behav Analysis Practice (2019) 12:600–611 603
39. would be entered into the lottery drawing each time they were
observed washing their hands following a critical antecedent,
2) they could be entered into the lottery multiple times during
an observation, and 3) lottery drawings were to be conducted
on pre-determined, randomly selected shifts. Participants were
only entered into the lottery during overt observations.
During the initial lottery phase, drawings were randomly
scheduled to occur across the day shift, evening shift, and
night shift approximately every two monitoring periods (i.e.,
approximately once per week). Numbers were generated for
all lottery participants eligible for the prize, and one number
was randomly selected by a supervisor otherwise not involved
in the study. To ensure hand washing continued for the re-
mainder of the shift, drawings were conducted no more than
1 h prior to the end of the shift. One of the three overt data
collectors was responsible for announcing the winner (in the
presence of other co-workers), providing verbal praise to the
winner, and delivering the gift card. Throughout the lottery
phase, the memo detailing the procedures was read before
each shift. Current winners (those that won within the last
two weeks) were announced and congratulated during shift
changes, and names of recent winners were also posted on
the main hospital unit.
Following a return to baseline and while a steady trend of
hand washing was observed, the number of times the lottery
distribution schedule was reduced to approximately every
third monitoring period (i.e., approximately once every 2
weeks) to minimize costs.. All other procedures remained
the same. Overt and covert hand hygiene observations contin-
ued for 10 months. Overt observation data suggested that ad-
herence improved and that improvements were observed fol -
lowing each of the five critical antecedents. However, covert
observation data suggested that adherence had not improved
40. beyond baseline levels.
Generalization of Lottery To increase hand hygiene adherence
when overt data collectors were not present, 13-unit supervi-
sors who were routinely present on the unit across all 3 shifts
were recruited to hand out prizes for hand washing. During
this phase, data continued to be collected by the overt and
covert data collectors (to ensure integrity and to minimize
added duties); however, each of the 13 supervisors was sys-
tematically selected to participate in the drawing and trained
by one of the overt data collectors to provide verbal praise in
front of co-workers, and deliver gift cards to winners in the
same way the overt data collectors delivered gift cards.
Social Validity and Infection Control Data
A short treatment acceptability questionnaire was adminis-
tered to direct care staff following the antecedent-based inter-
vention assessing their acceptance of the portable hand
sanitizers. Within this survey, staff’s knowledge of critical
antecedents was also examined, and suggestions for additional
intervention strategies were requested (see Appendix).
Concurrent to this study, data were collected quarterly across
the entire hospital (including the inpatient unit) on staff hand
hygiene behavior by “secret shoppers” who served on the
hospital's Infection Control Advisory Board. It is important to
note that these personnel had no knowledge of the current study,
and the authors had no knowledge of the identity of the secret
shoppers. Data were summarized each quarter for the respective
units and were distributed via e-mail to administrators. When
indicated, administrators were urged to address adherence
issues
with their staff; however, no specific guidance was provided on
how to improve hand washing behavior.
41. Results
Figure 1 shows the percentage of opportunities with hand
hygiene adherence during observation periods across baseline,
604 Behav Analysis Practice (2019) 12:600–611
the antecedent-based intervention, and lottery phases. During
baseline, hand washing was low across all critical antecedents
(see Fig. 2), making it necessary to target all 5 antecedents.
Initiation of the antecedent-based intervention (portable hand
sanitizers) did not improve adherence. Hand washing in-
creased and remained high with the initiation of the group-
based lottery (consequent intervention) and remained high
during schedule thinning and generalization of lottery phases.
Baseline During the initial baseline phase, hand washing ad-
herence averaged 11% (range 0% to 25%). When the lottery
was removed during the return to baseline phase, levels of
hand washing adherence immediately returned to low levels
(M =15%, range 0% to 29%).
Antecedent-Based Intervention Hand washing adherence
remained low during shifts in which portable hand sanitizers
were distributed to staff (M= 17%, range 0% to 29%).
Group-Based Lottery Following the initiation of the lottery
(consequent intervention), hand washing adherence imme-
diately increased across all situations and remained high
(M = 63%, range 50% to 80%) throughout the initial
phase in which gift cards were distributed following ap-
proximately every 2 observations. Following the return to
baseline phase, the lottery was reinstated and hand wash-
ing adherence again increased (M =76%, range 50% to
42. 100%). Hand washing adherence remained high, even
when the density of reinforcement was thinned from fol-
lowing approximately every 2 observations to following
approximately every 3 observations (M =72%, range 38%
to 100%).
Intervention Results Figure 3 depicts the averaged percentage
of opportunities with hand hygiene adherence across baseline,
the antecedent-based intervention, the overt observations from
the group-based lottery, and the covert observations (supervi -
sor absent and supervisor present). A total of 3097 observa-
tions of hand washing were observed throughout the study
(2332 overt and 765 covert observations). Data were aggre-
gated within each phase.
Figure 4 …
B R I E F R E P O R T
Social validity assessment of behavior data
recording among human services care providers
Joseph N. Ricciardi1 | Allison Weiss Rothschild2 |
Natalie M. Driscoll2 | Jillian Crawley2 | Joshua Wanganga2 |
David A. Fofanah2 | James K. Luiselli3
1Seven Hills NeuroCare, Worcester, MA, USA
2Seven Hills Community Services, Middleton,
MA, USA
43. 3Melmark New England, Andover,
Massachusetts, USA
Correspondence
Joseph N. Ricciardi, PsyD,ABPP, BCBA-D,
CBISTAssistantVice President/Director of
Clinical Services, Seven Hills NeuroCare, 81
Hope Avenue, Worcester, MA 01603
Email:[email protected]
Care providers within human services organizations have
many job responsibilities and performance expectations. In
the present study, we conducted social validity assessment
with 78 care providers concerning their attitudes and opin-
ions about behavior data recording with adults who had
intellectual disability and lived in community group homes.
Specifically, the care providers responded to a written ques -
tionnaire that inquired about the practicality, training/
supervision, and value of behavior data recording in the
context of service delivery. Results indicated generally high
44. approval of behavior data recording practices, purposes,
and approaches to training. We discuss implications of
these findings for implementing data recording by care pro-
viders and the contribution of social validity assessment to
training and performance management within human ser-
vices organizations.
K E Y W O R D S
behavior data recording, care provider training, human services
organizations, performance management, social validity
1 | INTRODUCTION
Training and performance management of care providers are
critical objectives within human services organizations
serving persons who have intellectual disability (ID)
(DiGennaro Reed, Hirst, & Howard, 2013; Lerman, LeBlanc, &
Valentino, 2015; Luiselli, 2018). Effective training and
performance management produces a more competent work-
force which leads to improved outcomes for service recipients,
higher job satisfaction, reduced turnover, and profes-
sional growth (Britton Laws, Kolomer, & Gallagher, 2014; Ejaz,
Noelker, & Menne, 2008; Firman, Orient, Steiner, &
Received: 16 March 2020 Revised: 12 June 2020 Accepted: 15
46. incentives (Wine, Reis, & Hantula, 2014). Through
social validity assessment, human services organizations are
able to align the perceptions of care providers with val -
ued operations, identify common themes that impact
programming, and consider alternative systems-wide practices.
Among many responsibilities, care providers are frequently
required to record data in order to objectively mea-
sure the effects of service delivery with persons who have ID
(Mayer & DiGennaro Reed, 2013; Rehfeldt, Baker, &
Grannan, 2014). For example, data recording by care providers
has targeted how often service-recipients complete
care routines (Burg, Reid, & Lattimore, 1979), initiate and
respond to social interactions (Doerner, Miltenberger, &
Bakken, 1989), and demonstrate challenging behavior (Flood &
Luiselli, 2012). However, training and performance
management of care provider data recording has infrequently
assessed social validity. In illustration, Gerald, Keeler,
Mackey, Merrill, and Luiselli (2019) evaluated the effects of a
self-management intervention on behavior data record-
ing by educational care providers followed by social validity
assessment of how the intervention was conducted, the
skills acquired through intervention, and recommendation of the
intervention to other staff. Similarly, Mishra, Grasso,
Essien, and Luiselli (2019) had educational care providers rate
47. their preference for environmental cuing and perfor-
mance monitoring interventions to improve data recording of
activity completion by students. Given the emphasis
many human services programs place on objective measurement,
social validity assessment of data recording should
be more fully integrated within training and performance
management as well as other operations that apply to care
providers (Ferguson et al., 2018; Gravina et al., 2018).
The present paper reports a social validity assessment study
with human services organization care providers to
identify their attitudes and opinions about behavior data
recording they were required to complete with adults who
had ID. We describe development of a social validity
questionnaire, summarize care provider responses, and discuss
implications of the findings for conducting training and
performance management. The study illustrates how human
services organizations can adopt social validity assessment as
an approach to evaluate and improve operations
through collaborative teamwork with and recommendations
from employees (Laffel & Blumenthal, 1989).
2 | METHOD
2.1 | Participants and setting
The participants were 78 care providers (61% female, 39%
48. male) who were employed at a human services organiza-
tion for adults with ID. The average age of the participants was
40.6 years (SD = 11.6 years) with an average of
9.5 years (SD = 7.3 years) working in the field of intellectual
and developmental disabilities. With regard to level of
education, the participants had a high school or general
education diploma (34.7%), associate degree (27.8%), under-
graduate college degree (27.8%), and graduate school degree
(9.7%).
The participants were assigned to 13 community group homes
that served a total of 48 adults with ID (22–
80 years old). Between two to five adults lived in each group
home and received habilitation services 24 hours per
day 7 days per week. In their roles as care providers, the
participants generally worked 8-hr daily shifts in the group
homes, 40 hours per week, and occasionally overtime hours
when additional shifts were available. Participants
RICCIARDI ET AL. 459
conducted many activities with the adults, including but not
limited to teaching adaptive living, self-care, communica-
tion, and leisure skills, arranging community events, dispensi ng
approved medications, planning group home sched-
49. ules, and coordinating visits with families.
All of participants consented to the study following meetings
with the authors at which time they were informed
about a project to sample their “opinions and feedback about
recording behavior data.” They were told further that
the project entailed completing a brief questionnaire, was
voluntary, did not represent a performance appraisal, and
would not affect their current and future employment. None of
the participants declined the request to complete
the questionnaire.
2.2 | Data recording responsibilities
Approximately 48% of the adults living in the group homes had
written procedural guidelines or intervention plans
that addressed challenging behavior such as aggression, self-
injury, property destruction, environmental disruption,
and non-compliance. During their assigned shifts, the
participants were required to record several types of behavior
data associated with these guidelines and plans. The behavior
data were recorded as frequency counts or occurrence
intervals on adult-specific forms contained in program binders
at the group homes. These were paper-and-pencil
forms that also specified the timeframes for data recording
(e.g., end of a shift).
50. The participants had been trained to record behavior data
immediately following their assignment to a group
home. Training conducted by an assigned clinician generally
consisted of explaining behavior data recording respon-
sibilities, the format of recording forms, and behavior
definitions specific to each adult. Clinicians also used instruc -
tions, demonstration, and performance specification during
training interactions. Participants were able to pose
questions during training and subsequently affirmed their
comprehension of expectations and procedures by signing
a confirmation document. Following initial training, clinicians
continued to consult with participants during scheduled
meetings and observations that addressed behavior data
recording guidelines.
2.3 | Questionnaire construction and distribution
The authors formed a research team at the human services
organization comprised of clinicians, behavior analysts,
and group home supervisors who designed, distributed, and
evaluated results from the social validity assessment
questionnaire. The questionnaire had three categories pertaining
to (a) practicality/ease of use, (b) training/supervi -
sion, and (c) importance/usefulness of behavior data recording
required of the participants as care providers in the
group homes. Each category included six statements that were
51. judged to be most relevant to the objectives of social
validity assessment (Table 1). Twelve of the 18 statements (six
statements per category) were worded positively such
as, “I know when I am responsible for recording behavior data,”
and six of the 12 statements (two statements per
category) were reverse coded in the form, “I have not been
trained to complete behavior data recording sheets in
the program.” For each statement on the questionnaire,
participants endorsed one numerical rating on a 5-point
Likert scale (1: strongly disagree, 2: disagree, 3: neither
disagree or agree, 4: agree, 5: strongly disagree).
Clinicians who were members of the research team distributed a
hardcopy of the questionnaire to the partici-
pants during a meeting at their respective group homes. While
following a standardized script, the clinician con-
ducting the meeting reminded the participants about the purpose
of the questionnaire and asked that they first fill-in
the demographic information requested on the first page (age,
sex, educational background, years of experience).
Next, the clinician explained that there were 18 statements on
the questionnaire and the participants should check
one of the five numerical ratings for each statement. The
clinician answered any inquiries from the participants, then
distributed the questionnaire while remaining present during the
52. time required for completion. The participants
responded to the questionnaire independently and anonymously
without conferring with each other, handing it to
460 RICCIARDI ET AL.
TABLE 1 Social validity questionnaire categories and
statements
Category Statement
Practicality/Ease of use The behavior recording data sheets are
easily accessible
There is enough time to record behavior data while on shift
Behavioral definitions are easy to understand
My other job tasks get in the way of recording behavior dataa
I know when I am responsible for collecting behavior data
Behavior recording data sheets are not easy to fill outa
Training/Supervision I have not been trained to complete
behavior data recording sheets in the programa
Additional training in behavior data recording would be helpful
Other staff and I record behavior data the same way
My supervisor teaches me how to complete behavior data
recording sheets
53. I do not have someone to contact if I need clarification
completing data recording sheetsa
Training in behavior data recording has happened on my shift
Importance/Usefulness Behavior data are important for my work
I do not find it helpful to review behavior data periodicallya
I understand how clinicians use behavior data after it has been
recorded
Behavior data I record are used to make decisions about the
people I serve
I have been shown graphs of the behavior data I record in the
program
Recording behavior data does not help the people I servea
aIndicates reverse coding.
TABLE 2 Rank ordered ratings on social validity questionnaire
Questionnaire statement Average rating
I know when I am responsible for recording behavior data 4.66
(SD = 0.75)
Behavior data I record are used to make decisions about the
people I serve 4.57 (SD = 0.91)
The behavior data recording sheets are easily accessible 4.57
(SD = 0.75)
54. Behavior data are important to my work 4.42 (SD = 1.03)
I do not have someone I can contact if I need clarification
completing behavior data recording sheetsa 4.38 (SD = 1.14)
I do not find it helpful to review behavior data periodicallya
4.24 (SD = 1.2)
Recording behavior data does not help the people I servea 4.23
(SD = 1.32)
Training in behavior data recording has happened on my shift
4.19 (SD = 1.18)
My supervisor teaches me how to record behavior data
recording sheets 4.18 (SD = 1.10)
There is enough time to record behavior data while on shift 4.10
(SD = 1.14)
I understand how clinicians use behavior data after it has been
recorded 4.03 (SD = 1.08)
I have not been trained to complete data recording sheets in the
programa 3.96 (SD = 1.45)
Behavior definitions are easy to understand 3.84 (SD = 1.12)
My other job tasks get in the way of recording behavior dataa
3.71 (SD = 1.38)
Behavior data recording sheets are not easy to fill outa 3.69 (SD
= 1.40)
Additional training in behavior data recording would be helpful
3.64 (SD = 1.26)
55. I have been shown graphs of the behavior data we record in the
program 3.54 (SD = 1.37)
Other staff record behavior data the same way 3.38 (SD = 1.33)
aIndicates reverse coding.
RICCIARDI ET AL. 461
the clinician when finished, yielding 100% return rate.
Explanation, distribution, and completion of the questionnaire
during the group home meetings with participants lasted
between 15 to 20 min.
3 | RESULTS
Table 2 presents the rank ordered average Likert scale rating for
the 18 statements contained in the social validity
questionnaire. Eight of the 12 positively worded statements
(66.6%) received an average “agree” rating (4.0–4.9) and
the remaining four statements (33.3%) received an average
“neither disagree nor agree” rating (3.0–3.9). The stron-
gest endorsements from the participants were for their behavior
data recording responsibilities, understanding the
value of behavior data recording, and the training and
supervision to perform behavior data recording. More equivo-
cal ratings were documented for needing additional training,
56. reviewing graphed data, and understanding behavior
definitions.
Three of the six reverse coded statements (50%) received an
average “disagree” rating (4.0–4.9) and the
remaining three statements (50%) received an average “neither
disagree nor agree” (3.0–3.9) rating. On average, the
participants disagreed about not having a contact person for
clarifying completion of behavior data recording, finding
it useful to periodically review behavior data recording, and
behavior data recording not being helpful to the people
served. More equivocal ratings pertained to not having been
trained to record behavior data, other tasks interfering
with behavior data recording, and recording sheets not being
easy to fill out.
4 | DISCUSSION
The present study illustrates the contribution of social validity
assessment to issues of care provider training and per -
formance management within human services organizations
(Luiselli, 2020). Specifically, the study targeted partici-
pant opinions and attitudes about the behavior data recording
they were required to complete with adults who had
ID. As noted previously, many human services organizations
rely on data recording by care providers to measure and
57. evaluate learning progress of the individuals served.
Understanding how care providers perceive the practice, value,
and purposes of data recording informs organization
administrators and supervising clinicians about operations
prior-
ities, reasonable practices, and direction of future programming
with service recipients. Notably, social validity
assessment ranks high as practice and research objectives within
ABA and OBM (Ferguson et al., 2018; Gravina
et al., 2018).
The social validity assessment found that participants judged
behavior data recording as practical (e.g., “The
behavior data recording sheets are easily accessible”),
understood the objectives of behavior data recording (e.g.,
“Behavior data I collect are used to make decisions about the
people I serve”), and saw merit in behavior data record-
ing (e.g., “Behavior data are important for my work”). Further,
the participants endorsed high approval ratings for
behavior data recording training and supervision (e.g.,
“Training in behavior data recording has happened on my shift”
and “My supervisor teaches me how to complete behavior data
recording data sheets”). These findings suggest that
participants working in the group homes managed by the human
services organization were not negatively inclined
58. toward behavior data recording or would be expected to resist
efforts directed at performance management. The
positive ratings also suggest that the participants would perform
behavior data recording with good fidelity, that is,
consistently and accurately implement procedures they
understood and approved.
Other participant ratings suggested elements of behavior data
recording that group home supervisors could
focus on. For example, behavior data recording may at times be
difficult due to competing activities (e.g., “My other
job tasks get in the way of recording behavior data”), the results
of behavior data recording are not routinely shared
with care providers (e.g., “I have been shown graphs using the
behavior data we take in our program”), and behavior
recording data are performed inconsistently (e.g., “Other staff
and I record behavior data in the same way”). Relative
462 RICCIARDI ET AL.
to these findings, post-assessment meetings could be convened
with participants in order to review how behavior
data recording could be improved through additional resources
and support to ongoing training and supervision.
Although the focus of this study was on behavior data
recording, the approach and format of social validity
59. assessment can be applied to many other areas of care provider
performance such as delivering skills instruction,
implementing behavior support plans, and completing daily
living routines. Questionnaires could also be developed
into surveys and checklists that measure implementation fidelity
and isolate procedural compliance problems similar
to instruments such as the Performance Diagnostic Checklist-
Human Services (PDC-HS) (Wilder, Cymbal, &
Villacorta, 2020).
We acknowledge that our social validity questionnaire included
only some of many possible inquiries concerning
behavior data recording. For example, questionnaire items that
judged the requirement of behavior data recording
compared to other participant job tasks or asked about
alternative methods of conducting measurement would have
been informative. Further, some of the items might not be
viewed as questions of social validation such as “I know
when I am responsible for recording behavior data” and
“Training in behavior data recording has happened on my
shift.” These items were intended to touch on behaviors,
conditions, and practical exigencies that impact direct con-
sumers and hence their ratings of social validity (Fawcett, 1991;
Schwartz & Baer, 1991).
60. Two other aspects of the social validity questionnaire should be
considered. First, the purpose of reverse coding
was to promote attentiveness from the participants by varying
content of the questionnaire and to control for unidi-
rectional response tendency that can occur when items are
worded similarly throughout (Swain, Weathers, &
Niedrich, 2008). Concerning the manner of distribution, a
clinician was present when participants completed the
questionnaire in order to maximize return rate. However, this
arrangement could have induced reactivity among the
participants and influenced their responses which to a large
degree were favorable. Recall that the participants com-
pleted the questionnaire anonymously and they were also
familiar with the clinicians, factors that may have lessened
possible reactivity. An alternative to this in-person format could
have been the participants completing the question-
naire online without other people present although this method
would not guarantee independent responding and
100% return rate.
The benefits of social validity assessment notwithstanding,
there are several qualifications applicable to a perfor -
mance objective such as behavior data recording and similar
competencies of human services care providers. On one
hand, social validity ratings by care providers may reflect
61. approval, acceptance, and preference for procedures and
strategies that are not necessarily the most effective or have
robust evidence support. It is also possible that social
validity ratings may not correlate with performance such as the
case of care providers who rank behavior data
recording an organizational priority but do not follow
established protocol or enter data reliably. In these situations,
observations of care providers would provide additional
information to better interpret results of a social validity
assessment, for example, do care providers actually implement
preferred procedures and demonstrate behavior that
conforms to their self-report?
Another consideration is evaluating care provider perceptions of
the effects of programmed interventions and
system changes that were informed through social validity
assessment. That is, how do care providers judge organi -
zation follow-up to questionnaire and survey data, post-
assessment focus groups, and respective recommendations?
Unfortunately, it was beyond the scope of the present study to
design and evaluate organization interventions
directed at behavior data recording policies, training, and
supervision based on the results of participant question-
naire ratings. Referencing the rank-ordered assessment findings
(Table 2), intervention efforts could focus on expan-
62. ding training in behavior data recording, teaching participants
how to interpret graphic presentation of behavior
data, and managing performance to ensure that behavior data are
recorded the same way. This process also high-
lights the need for human services organizations to assess social
validity at regular intervals that are tied to selected
initiatives, large-scale policy changes, and reoccurring events
such as hiring new staff (“onboarding”).
Generalization of our findings to other human services
organizations must be interpreted cautiously given differ-
ent types of behavior data recording, training, and supervision
conducted in those settings. As well, study results
should be qualified because this was a descriptive study with a
convenience sample that concerned a single
RICCIARDI ET AL. 463
performance objective among care providers. Finally, it is
unclear how items in the social validity questionnaire corre-
lated or comprised separate domains because a test of sampling
adequacy (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Test) indicated insuf-
ficient data and sample size to perform a principal component
analysis.
In addition to the previously cited goals and benefits, social
63. validity assessment can contribute to care provider
professional development by demonstrating that human services
organizations seek and value their opinions (Hewitt
& Larson, 2007). Having input into organization operations
further enhances the self-image of care providers in the
demanding role of service delivery with persons who have ID
(Kessler & Troxel, 2019). The present study described
the process of designing and evaluating a social validity
questionnaire that focused on a performance priority of care
providers at a human services organization, described
implications of the findings, and supports the need for more
widespread application of social validity assessment in
behavioral practice and research (Ferguson et al., 2018;
Gravina et al., 2018).
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors gratefully acknowledge the care providers at Seven
Hills Community Services for participating in the
study.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
All of the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
INFORMED CONSENT
Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in
64. the study.
ETHICS STATEMENT
All procedures conducted in the study were in accordance with
the ethical standards of the institutional and/or
national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki
declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical
standards.
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
Research data not shared.
ORCID
James K. Luiselli https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6989-9155
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Journal of the …
Wanna Grab Some Dinner? Social Relations
Between Helping Professionals and Members of
Community Mental Health or Other Human Service
Organizations
Jonathan D. Prince, Olivia Mora-Lett, Marina Lalayants, and
Adam Brown
Silbmeran School of Social Work at Hunter College, City
University of New York
Purpose: Could practitioners and members (consumers) of
mental health or other organizations
interact socially by regularly going out for drinks or dinner
together, for example? The
68. American Psychological Association explicitly states for
example, “your psychologist
shouldn’t also be your friend.” However such social interactions
have occurred for decades
in certain clubhouse-modeled community mental healthcare, and
maybe research and a more
balanced perspective is warranted. Design/Method: We
interviewed six clubhouse staff that
interact socially with members and held three focus groups with
20 members. Results/
Conclusions: In relation to what we call a social interaction
policy, we herein highlight:
(a) four policy dimensions (e.g. activity types; relationship
closeness); (b) a spectrum of policy
challenges (e.g., dealing with romantic overture; feelings of
exclusion or hurt and effects on
mental health; symptom flare-up while out socializing; financial
constraints of members such as
dinner costs on limited incomes); and (c) a wide variety of
policy benefits such as: (a) learning
opportunities for members who can process with staff the ups
and downs of social relationships;
(b) social skill and network development; (c) enhanced
assessment across different times/
settings; (d) addressing stigma among staff who must grapple
with internal resistance to spend
free time with members; (e) enrichment of staff social life; (f)
reducing internalized stigma
among members when staff value them more holistically; and
(g) empowerment of members
when staff freely (and optionally) offer a valuable resource
(spare time). We offer suggestions
for certain types of agencies that may wish to implement social
interaction policies.
Public Policy Relevance Statement
69. Although dual (or multiple) associations between providers and
members (consumers) of
mental health service organizations have been explored
extensively over decades, this
exploration has covered random encounters (e.g., running into
members in grocery stores,
on one extreme) to close friendships on the other extreme. In a
more focused way, however,
researchers have yet to study regular social interactions (e.g.,
optional dinners or drinks)
between providers and members. We therefore studied these
interactions qualitatively
(interviews with providers and focus groups with members), for
both parties have actively
pursued such get-togethers for over 70 years in certain
clubhouses. In relation to this social
interaction policy, we highlight policy dimensions, challenges,
and benefits, and offer
suggestions for non-clubhouse agencies that can weigh policy
implementation against
maintenance of the status quo (e.g., in order to preserve
integrity of clinical relationships).
Supplemental materials:
https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000552.supp
T
h
is
d
o
cu
m
en
t
is
74. W hat would happen if practitioners (i.e., service provi -ders or
staff) and members (i.e., consumers or clients)of mental health
or other organizations started to
regularly socialize by going out for drinks together, for
example,
or going to baseball games or out to dinner? Such activates
(some-
times referred to as boundary crossings; Zur, 2020) do not
violate
codes of ethics or standards set by licensing boards (e.g.,
Sonne,
2007; Zur, 2020). In short, on a regular basis, could service
providers
spend free time with people under their care? The answer is yes
potentially, or at least yes maybe, for social lives have been
shared for
decades in some clubhouse-modeled community mental health
pro-
grams. Perhaps this is only possible in certain clubhouses, for
they
differ in important ways from other community mental
healthcare
(e.g., near-total equalization of power between staff and
program
members). Beyond clubhouses, the American Psychological
Association (2020), explicitly states for example, “your
psychologist
shouldn’t also be your friend.” Yet certain clubhouses operate
under a
different philosophy, and maybe research and a more balanced
perspective are warranted.
Surprisingly, social relations between clubhouse staff and mem-
75. bers have yet to be studied empirically. We therefore
interviewed six
clubhouse staff that spend free time with members, and held
three
focus groups with 20 clubhouse members in order to better
under-
stand from both perspectives (staff and members) what we
herein
refer to as a social interaction policy (an unwritten or informal
one,
in this case). Our two research questions include: (a) what are
the
dimensions of this policy? and (b) what are its challenges and
benefits? We conclude by questioning whether other agencies
could
adopt such a policy, perhaps in order to enhance care (e.g., by
building rapport outside of the office), or whether instead the
status
quo should be maintained (e.g., in order to preserve integrity of
clinical relationships). In relation to our rather contrarian idea
that
such a policy could indeed be considered elsewhere (e.g., other
forms of community mental healthcare, where having drinks
with
service recipients or sharing other social activities is often
prohib-
ited), we understand that we will be met with resistance. We
captured this resistance by recording an experienced clinician’s
response to the suggestion:
I am excited by innovative approaches to treatment but this
(social
interaction policy) makes me very uncomfortable. (There are
reasons)
why these boundaries haven’t been crossed : : : There is a
power