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This paper aims to describe the issues in risk assessment and management of autism spectrum disorders in secure hospital settings with reference to best practice guidance.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe the issues in risk assessment and management of autism spectrum disorders in secure hospital settings with reference to best practice guidance.
Design/methodology/approach
The author undertook a review of the current literature on risk management in autism spectrum disorders and has drawn on clinical experience to highlight key issues.
Findings
Risk assessment and management needs to be tailored to individuals. Characteristics of offences differ compared to other mental disorders. Underlying factors for offending differ from other mental disorders and may be misinterpreted.
Practical implications
Risk assessment in autism spectrum disorders should take into account individual characteristics and be informed by specialist assessments. Management should be based on a formulation informed by assessments and by recognising individual characteristics.
Originality/value
The paper highlights important issues in risk assessment and management of patients with autism spectrum disorders particularly in secure hospital settings.
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Elizabeth A. Payne and Robert J. Ramsay
To examine whether planning‐stage fraud risk assessments and audit experience affect the level of professional skepticism displayed by auditors during fieldwork.
Abstract
Purpose
To examine whether planning‐stage fraud risk assessments and audit experience affect the level of professional skepticism displayed by auditors during fieldwork.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents an experiment using professional auditors.
Findings
Overall, auditors predisposed to low fraud risk assessments were less skeptical than those with no knowledge of fraud risk (control group). Also, as expected, auditors in the control group were less skeptical than those predisposed to moderate/high fraud risk assessments. Staff auditors were more skeptical than seniors. Senior auditors showed no differences in skepticism between the control group and high fraud risk assessment group.
Research limitations/implications
Professional skepticism in this study is measured as the auditors’ assessment of client truthfulness. There is reasonable disagreement on the exact meaning of professional skepticism and some readers’ interpretation of the term may be different from the authors' own.
Practical implications
The results suggest a need for audit firms to use ongoing training with regard to professional skepticism and the requirements of SAS No. 99, especially since skepticism appears to decline with increasing audit experience.
Originality/value
The study contributes to auditing literature in the areas of professional skepticism and fraud risk assessment. The overall experience result supports previous studies, but additional insight is gained as to differences in the experience/skepticism relationship at different levels of planning‐stage fraud risk.
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A risk assessment method is used to carry out a risk assessment for an organization’s information security. Currently, there are many risk assessment methods from which to choose…
Abstract
A risk assessment method is used to carry out a risk assessment for an organization’s information security. Currently, there are many risk assessment methods from which to choose, each exhibiting a variety of problems. For example, methods may take a long time to perform, may rely on subjective estimates for the security input data, may rely heavily on quantification of financial loss due to vulnerability, or may be costly to purchase and use. Discusses requirements for an ideal risk assessment method, and develops and evaluates factors to be considered in the selection method. Empirical research was carried out at two large, Australian organizations, in order to determine and validate factors. These factors should be of use to organizations in the evaluation, selection or development of a risk assessment method. Interesting conclusions are drawn about decision making in organizational information security.
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Farman Afzal, Shao Yunfei, Mubasher Nazir and Saad Mahmood Bhatti
In the past decades, artificial intelligence (AI)-based hybrid methods have been increasingly applied in construction risk management practices. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
In the past decades, artificial intelligence (AI)-based hybrid methods have been increasingly applied in construction risk management practices. The purpose of this paper is to review and compile the current AI methods used for cost-risk assessment in the construction management domain in order to capture complexity and risk interdependencies under high uncertainty.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper makes a content analysis, based on a comprehensive literature review of articles published in high-quality journals from the years 2008 to 2018. Fuzzy hybrid methods, such as fuzzy-analytical network processing, fuzzy-artificial neural network and fuzzy-simulation, have been widely used and dominated in the literature due to their ability to measure the complexity and uncertainty of the system.
Findings
The findings of this review article suggest that due to the limitation of subjective risk data and complex computation, the applications of these AI methods are limited in order to address cost overrun issues under high uncertainty. It is suggested that a hybrid approach of fuzzy logic and extended form of Bayesian belief network (BBN) can be applied in cost-risk assessment to better capture complexity-risk interdependencies under uncertainty.
Research limitations/implications
This study only focuses on the subjective risk assessment methods applied in construction management to overcome cost overrun problem. Therefore, future research can be extended to interpret the input data required to deal with uncertainties, rather than relying solely on subjective judgments in risk assessment analysis.
Practical implications
These results may assist in the management of cost overrun while addressing complexity and uncertainty to avoid chaos in a project. In addition, project managers, experts and practitioners should address the interrelationship between key complexity and risk factors in order to plan risk impact on project cost. The proposed hybrid method of fuzzy logic and BBN can better support the management implications in recent construction risk management practice.
Originality/value
This study addresses the applications of AI-based methods in complex construction projects. A proposed hybrid approach could better address the complexity-risk interdependencies which increase cost uncertainty in project.
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D. Elaine Pressman and John Flockton
The purpose of this paper is to outline the process of risk assessment for terrorists and violent political extremists and to present an example of such an approach. The approach…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to outline the process of risk assessment for terrorists and violent political extremists and to present an example of such an approach. The approach proposed is referred to as the VERA 2 or violent extremism risk assessment protocol (Consultative Version 2).
Design/methodology/approach
A review of the knowledge base relating to risk assessment and risk assessment methodology was undertaken with a focus on relevance to individual terrorists and violent extremists. The need for a specific approach for the risk assessment of terrorists that differs from approaches used for ordinary violent criminals was identified. A model that could be used for the risk assessment of terrorists was identified with pertinent risk indicators. This was structured into a protocol referred to as the VERA (Consultative Version 2). The approach is intended to be applied to different types of violent extremists, terrorists and unlawful violent offenders motivated by religious, political or social ideologies.
Findings
First, risk assessments of adjudicated terrorists and violent extremists should be undertaken with risk indicators that are relevant to ideological motivated violence. Indicators used for ordinary common violence differ in substantive ways from those relevant to terrorists and therefore may have questionable relevance for the assessment of risk in terrorists. Second, it is possible to construct an evidence‐based risk assessment approach for the range of violent extremists and terrorists using a structured professional judgment approach with pertinent risk indicators. The VERA 2 is an example of this type of risk assessment protocol for terrorists and unlawful violent extremists.
Research limitations/implications
Risk assessment tools that have been developed for ordinary violent criminals and members of organised criminal gangs should be used with caution with terrorists, violent extremists and other perpetrators of ideologically motivated unlawful violence. Specific risk assessment approaches for terrorists with relevant indicators should be used. At this time, terrorist oriented approaches such as the VERA 2 are to be considered consultative and used as an add‐on to other established approaches.
Originality/value
There are few transparent, structured risk assessment approaches that use indicators specifically relevant to violent political extremists and terrorists. One new approach, the VERA 2 is outlined in the paper using risk indicators that differ in substantive ways from those used for other ordinary violent criminals.
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L. Manning and J.M. Soon
The purpose of this paper is to review the methods for assessing food safety risk within a food safety plan.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the methods for assessing food safety risk within a food safety plan.
Design/methodology/approach
The research involved analysis of both qualitative and quantitative methods of risk assessment.
Findings
Risk assessment is a key element of the HACCP approach to food safety. It requires food business operators and those on HACCP teams to determine both the acceptable level of contamination and the risk for the food business, and ultimately the consumer. The choice of food safety risk assessment model is crucial to an organisation. The mechanisms to determine what is acceptable can be a combination of scientific based and value based criteria and utilise qualitative or semi‐quantitative approaches. Whilst fuzzy logic has a place in making risk assessment more quantitative; specific software tools are required to enable quantitative risk assessment especially where what is acceptable at one point could, subject to other factors later in the supply chain, change to an unacceptable level of risk to the consumer. Quantitative mechanisms are required to make these decisions at organisational, or indeed at policy level, fully transparent.
Originality/value
This research is of academic value and of value to policy makers and practitioners in the food supply chain.
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W.M.P.U. Wijeratne, B.A.K.S. Perera and L. De Silva
The purpose of this paper is to identify the risks and methods for their assessment in the case of maintenance activities in Sri Lanka. The main objectives were to identify the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the risks and methods for their assessment in the case of maintenance activities in Sri Lanka. The main objectives were to identify the occupational risks in maintenance work and the risk assessment methods in place and their drawbacks in the Sri Lankan context.
Design/methodology/approach
The identification and assessment of risks were undertaken through a study of three fast-moving consumer products manufacturing organisations. The relevant data were collected through personal interviews and site visits.
Findings
Most typical risks associated with maintenance are cuts, slips and falls, with severe or fatal injuries as the result of negligence of SOP and failure to use the PPE. Checklists, brainstorming and decomposition techniques were identified as the preferred methods in maintenance for risk identification while a risk rating matrix is used for risk analysis. Lack of awareness and indifference towards risk assessment; make effective risk assessment very difficult. These drawbacks can be minimised by education, systematic training and enforcing rules, regulations and procedures for controlling risks.
Originality/value
Studies on maintenance worldwide have identified several maintenance-specific risks such as working at heights, the pressure of time, etc. However, there is a dearth of published research on risks and risk assessment methods in maintenance in Sri Lankan context. The findings highlighted the safety risks and risk assessment tools entailed in the maintenance operations of manufacturing organisations. The findings will be useful for those in maintenance operations in managing risks effectively through designing work environments that are risk-free.
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Kaitlyn Wardrop, Kayla A. Wanamaker and Dena Derkzen
Recently, correctional agencies have argued that there are differences between factors influencing men and women’s involvement in the criminal justice system. The purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
Recently, correctional agencies have argued that there are differences between factors influencing men and women’s involvement in the criminal justice system. The purpose of this paper is to examine the validity of a gender-informed risk/need assessment tool.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample consisted of 620 women offenders admitted to federal Canadian custody, as well as a matched-comparison group of 647 men. Items were selected from routine assessments in an administrative database based on an extensive literature review of factors related to criminal risk for women.
Findings
Results showed that the items included in this assessment and the overall rating of risk/need significantly predicted any return to custody for both women and men. As well, ratings incrementally predicted any return to custody over and above other established tools.
Practical implications
The gender-informed risk/need assessment tool, informed by the literature, performed well for both men and women. The research highlights the complementary, not competing, perspectives of gender-neutral and gender-responsive risk and need factors.
Originality/value
Factors commonly considered gender-salient predicted risk for men and women. The present study demonstrates that risk assessments tools for men and women should look beyond the factors routinely assessed in the research to identify novel dynamic factors that contribute to risk for men and women and could be targeted for intervention.
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