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1 – 10 of 132Vivienne Davies‐Quarrell, Alan Higgins, Joan Higgins, Pat Quinn, Mo Quinn, Gary Jones, Linda Jones, Anthony Foy, Vilma Foy, Robert Marland, Pat Marland, Adrienne Powell and John Keady
This article describes the evaluation of the ACE club, a service for younger people with dementia in North Wales. The evaluation was conducted by the ACE club members and…
Abstract
This article describes the evaluation of the ACE club, a service for younger people with dementia in North Wales. The evaluation was conducted by the ACE club members and conducted through a relationship‐centred approach expressed through the Senses Framework (achievement, belonging, continuity, purpose, security, significance) (Nolan et al, 2006). Members of the ACE club found the sense of significance to be the most important and meaningful ‘sense’ in helping to structure their evaluation and use of the ACE club. The clinical interventions outline is shared within the text to help provide a grounded and inductively generated practice structure. The funding of ‘normalising’ activities for younger people with dementia is an area of dementia care that needs urgent attention.
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In 1991 specialist sheet metal workers to the electronics industry, RMF Precision Sheet Metal Ltd faced major problems in their paint shop. Customer demand was so strong that the…
Abstract
In 1991 specialist sheet metal workers to the electronics industry, RMF Precision Sheet Metal Ltd faced major problems in their paint shop. Customer demand was so strong that the directors, Mike Higgins and Alan Horne, were forced into looking at new equipment and methods to speed up throughput without sacrificing the quality of finish that both KMF and their customers expect.
Fatemeh Alipour, Sogol Jamshidizadeh, Peivand Bastani and Gholamhossein Mehralian
A balanced scorecard (BSC) is an applied tool for implementing strategic management in various organizations. Implementing strategic management using the BSC approach has not…
Abstract
Purpose
A balanced scorecard (BSC) is an applied tool for implementing strategic management in various organizations. Implementing strategic management using the BSC approach has not received much attention in pharmacy departments. This study aims to provide a model for the strategic management of pharmacy departments using the BSC framework.
Design/methodology/approach
This experimental study was conducted from 2015 to 2018 in a 300-bed hospital and regional healthcare centers affiliated with the Petroleum Industry Health Organization in Tehran province, Iran. After carefully reviewing the organization's mission and vision, the strategic objectives were determined via the internal matrix and the external matrix (IE matrix), and the strengths–weaknesses–opportunities–threats matrix (SWOT matrix) were examined. Then, six BSC measures and interventions were identified, and each was examined from the perspectives of finance, patient satisfaction, internal processes and learning/growth. Finally, the proposed strategy was evaluated.
Findings
Results showed significant increases in patient satisfaction and gross profit. The observed increase range, from 0.09 to 0.29, indicates more effective operational management for optimal resource utilization. In addition, the pharmacy department was able to save US $539,137 by implementing prepared protocols for expensive medications. Similarly, the pharmacy department saved $442,899 during the two years of our strategic management plan by implementing the standard mechanism for returning unused medications to the pharmacy department after patients were discharged from various treatment units.
Originality/value
This study is among the first studies to demonstrate the simultaneous development, implementation and evaluation of the proposed strategy using the BSC in a pharmacy department in a public healthcare center. The BSC application improved the optimal use of resources and reduced costs while increasing patient satisfaction. It appears that the application of such an intervention may be as valuable to public pharmacies as it is to other private centers.
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The article ‘researches’ construction fragmentation from the assumption that construction projects are ‘unmanageable’ (Mintzberg, 1982) in conventional terms, in an attempt to…
Abstract
The article ‘researches’ construction fragmentation from the assumption that construction projects are ‘unmanageable’ (Mintzberg, 1982) in conventional terms, in an attempt to give thematic unity to this problem. Socio‐technical analysis which underlay the Building Industry Communications Research Project (BICRP) (Higgin & Jessop, 1963, 1965; TIHR, 1965; Chrichton, 1966) conducted by the Tavistock Institute for Human Relations (TIHR) from 1963 to 1965 is explored and developed, supplemented other relevant authors. The argument is conducted formally without reference to particular examples and develops the debate provoked by Connaughton (2000). Formal statement of the problem assists reinterpretation (Boyd & Wild, 1999; Wild, 2001 a) of existing material and new enquiry to clarify the conditions, if any, both necessary and sufficient, for the manageability of construction.
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Raymond Moss, Ernie Redmond, Tony Preston, Alan Day and Norman Kelbrick
THERE ARE few controversies which have dragged on so long as ‘Public Lending Right’ (PLR). Originally put forward in 1951 as ‘Brophy's penny’ the controversy has raged ever since…
Abstract
THERE ARE few controversies which have dragged on so long as ‘Public Lending Right’ (PLR). Originally put forward in 1951 as ‘Brophy's penny’ the controversy has raged ever since. The late Sir Alan Herbert devoted the later years of his life to it. Bills got as far as Parliament and were then talked out. The details of this unhappy story are well known, especially to the sufferers, the authors.
Tam Cane, Vasso Vydellingum and Wendy Knibb
The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences that people with HIV faced as they navigated through the intricate processes of trying to access adoption services in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences that people with HIV faced as they navigated through the intricate processes of trying to access adoption services in the south of England. It proposes the need to pay more attention to people living with HIV (PLWHIV) able to adopt children. The study aims to develop an increased focus on PLWHIV able to adopt.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is an exploratory study using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach. Open-ended interviews were conducted with seven participants including individuals and couples. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using IPA’s cross-case and ideographic analysis.
Findings
The paper provides empirical insights about the challenges that PLWHIV experienced with social workers. Positive experiences were in the minority. Lack of information, inadequate support, stigma and discrimination, cultural insensitivity and disempowerment were frequently reported. The paper suggests that greater understanding and better education for social workers would improve access to adoption by people with HIV.
Research limitations/implications
Given the chosen approach and small sample size, results may not be generalisable.
Practical implications
This study increases knowledge, promotes positive attitudes and improved support for PLWHIV who are stable and able to offer permanency to adoptive children.
Originality/value
This paper provides new ideas in an area that is scarcely researched. It identifies the need to undertake further studies to understand how social workers assess PLWHIV and what can be done to provide adequate support.
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Alan Rea, Kaitlin Marshall and Dan Farrell
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to develop, test and validate a set of dimensions that can verify whether any specific online survey tool can be effectively developed…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to develop, test and validate a set of dimensions that can verify whether any specific online survey tool can be effectively developed and deployed; second, to provide a framework and working topology for web-based survey tool selection.
Design/methodology/approach
A panel comprised of five experts determined the validity of the proposed dimensions the authors compiled from extensive feature research of the top online survey software identified by Alexa and Datanyze, which allows for web survey data to be pulled in a customizable fashion over a selected period of time. The validated dimensions were then ranked via a paper survey (n = 98) in a controlled environment using a 9-point Likert scale.
Findings
There was no strong correlation between highest-ranked dimensions and the market share and use of a particular online survey tool. However, overall dimension ranking dominance did predict an online survey tool obtaining higher market implementation and use. In addition, the influence of business roles on dimension weights should be considered when selecting survey software. Finally, two additional dimensions not prevalent in existing research – data analysis and technical support – must be considered in survey tool selection.
Practical implications
Online survey tools are increasingly supplementing or replacing random telephone-based opinion and polling surveys for data collection on important social issues, political candidacies, etc. Representative samples yielding the most accurate results are more easily obtained via mixed-mode methods that incorporate online survey tools.
Originality/value
The paper's findings suggest which dimensions must be present for widespread acceptance and implementation of a successful web-based online survey tool. Organizations must be able to assess a particular survey tool's viability for their specific purposes. The dimensions presented here can be developed into an effective adoption heuristic to meet an organization's particular requirements. Findings suggest that when evaluating survey software, one must remain cognizant of the various business roles associated with survey software to better account for decision-maker tendencies. For example, managers place greater emphasis on overall cost whereas developers may value survey creation and integration features.
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Anis Maaloul, Walid Ben Amar and Daniel Zeghal
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between voluntary disclosure of intangibles and financial analysts’ earnings forecasts properties.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between voluntary disclosure of intangibles and financial analysts’ earnings forecasts properties.
Design/methodology/approach
Disclosures about intangible assets were hand-collected through content analysis of annual reports of a sample of US non-financial firms, while analysts’ earnings forecasts properties were collected from Bloomberg Professional database. The authors relied on correlation and multivariate regression analyses to test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that increased intangible disclosures affect analysts’ earnings forecasts accuracy, dispersion, and favourable consensus recommendations. However, this effect varies according to the nature of intangible assets.
Practical implications
The results may be of interest to different market participants such as corporate managers, financial analysts, and standards setting bodies that recently published guidelines on voluntary disclosure of intangibles.
Originality/value
This study develops a new comprehensive index to measure the content of narrative disclosures about a large number of intangibles, such as human, structural, and relational assets. The findings contribute to the current debate on the value-relevance of narrative disclosures on intangibles to investors and financial analysts.
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David C. Bell, John S. Atkinson and Victoria Mosier
Describes how HIV and AIDS are carried and spread, particularly for high‐risk groups, but adds that it is not only behavioural but also those behaviours in conjunction with…
Abstract
Describes how HIV and AIDS are carried and spread, particularly for high‐risk groups, but adds that it is not only behavioural but also those behaviours in conjunction with others. Employs figures and tables for added explanation and emphasis. Chronicles some individual case studies showing different “risk” behaviours and types of “unsafe” practices. Makes clear that the use of varied types of education are of major importance in the fight against ignorance and nonchalance in the battle against AIDS.
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