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1 – 10 of 290
Article
Publication date: 19 February 2018

Elise Catherine Davis, Ashley Evans, Caroline Uptmore, Sarah Lang, Jessica K. McElroy, David Ellenburg, Tony Nguyen and Bita A. Kash

The purpose of this paper is to present proposed solutions and interventions to some of the major barriers to providing adequate access to healthcare in Kenya. Specific business…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present proposed solutions and interventions to some of the major barriers to providing adequate access to healthcare in Kenya. Specific business models are proposed to improve access to quality healthcare in low- and middle-income countries. Finally, strategies are developed for the retail clinic concept (RCC).

Design/methodology/approach

Google Scholar, PubMed and EBSCOhost were among the databases used to collect articles relevant to the purpose in Kenya. Various governmental and news articles were collected from Google searches. Relevant business models from other sectors were considered for potential application to healthcare and the retail clinic concept.

Findings

After a review of current methodologies and approaches to business and franchising models in various settings, the most relevant models are proposed as solutions to improving quality healthcare in Kenya through the RCC. For example, authors reviewed physician recruitment strategies, insurance plans and community engagement. The paper is informed by existing literature and reports as well as key informants.

Research limitations/implications

This paper lacks primary data collection within Kenya and is limited to a brief scoping review of literature. The findings provide effective strategies for various business and franchising models in healthcare.

Originality/value

The assembling of relevant information specific to Kenya and potential business models provides effective means of improving health delivery through business and franchising, focusing on innovative approaches and models that have proven effective in other settings.

Details

European Journal of Training and Development, vol. 42 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-9012

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 June 2013

Edmund C. Penning‐Rowsell, Edward P. Evans, Jim W. Hall and Alistair G.L. Borthwick

The Foresight Future Flooding (FFF) project researched flood risk in the UK to the year 2100 for central government, using scenarios and a national risk assessment model backed by

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Abstract

Purpose

The Foresight Future Flooding (FFF) project researched flood risk in the UK to the year 2100 for central government, using scenarios and a national risk assessment model backed by qualitative analysis from panels of some 45 senior scientists. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of the project, both nationally and internationally.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper assesses the impact of the FFF project, both nationally and internationally, using web searches, document analysis, and a questionnaire survey of key actors in the flood risk management policy field.

Findings

It was found that the penetration of the project into professionals' consciousness was high in relation to other comparable projects and publications, and its impact on policy – both immediately and continuing – was profound. The FFF initiative did not create policy change, however, but facilitated its legitimation, adding impetus to what was already there, as one element of a part‐catalytic and part‐incremental process of policy evolution.

Research limitations/implications

Special circumstances, internal and external to the project, mean that this cannot be a simple model for matching research to policymakers' needs in the future.

Practical implications

Important lessons may be learnt from this project about both the methods of forward‐looking foresight‐type research, and the way that its results are disseminated to its target audiences.

Originality/value

This is an innovative attempt to assess the impact of a new type of foresight project.

Details

Foresight, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-6689

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Article
Publication date: 24 August 2012

Gayan Wedawatta and Bingunath Ingirige

The UK has experienced a number of flood events in recent years, and the intensity and frequency of such events are forecast to further increase in future due to changing climatic…

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Abstract

Purpose

The UK has experienced a number of flood events in recent years, and the intensity and frequency of such events are forecast to further increase in future due to changing climatic conditions. Accordingly, enhancing the resilience of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) – which form an important segment in a society – to flood risk, has emerged as an important issue. However, SMEs often tend to underestimate the risk of flooding which tends to have a low priority in their business agenda. The purpose of this paper is to undertake an investigation of adaptation to the risk of flooding considering community‐level measures, individual‐level property protection, and business continuity and resilience measures.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of four short case studies were conducted among SMEs to identify their response to flood risk, and what measures have been undertaken to manage the risk of flooding.

Findings

It was observed that SMEs have implemented different property‐level protection measures and generic business continuity/risk management measures, based on their requirements, to achieve a desired level of protection.

Practical implications

SMEs are likely to positively respond to property‐level adaptation following a post‐flood situation. It is important that information such as costs/benefits of such measures and different options available are made accessible to SMEs affected by a flood event.

Social implications

Implementation of property‐level adaptation measures will contribute towards the long term adaptation of the existing building stock to changing climatic conditions.

Originality/value

The paper contributes towards policy making on flood risk adaptation and SME decision making, and informs policy makers and practitioners.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 21 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 July 2015

David W. Beddoes and Colin Booth

Experimental field test apparatus has been used to determine the inter-variability and intra-variability floodwater ingress rates of the masonry wall of a domestic building…

Abstract

Purpose

Experimental field test apparatus has been used to determine the inter-variability and intra-variability floodwater ingress rates of the masonry wall of a domestic building, before and after preparation with an improved surface treatment procedure. The purpose of this paper is to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

Replicated and repeated simulations of floodwater conditions (600 mm head) outside a building were created, before and after the wall was treated with a combination of mortar admixture and surface impregnation.

Findings

Untreated and treated floodwater ingress rates were 4.99 litres/hour (234.99 litres/hour/m2) and 1.74 litres/hour (81.90 litres/hour/m2), respectively, and display high intra-variability before treatment. These preliminary results indicate water penetration through masonry is linked to the initial rate of absorption of brick units and perceivably the workmanship of the bricklayer.

Originality/value

Reductions in floodwater penetration from outside a building, by the impregnation and admixture treatments of masonry walls, can be achieved to manageable levels. However, the target for rates of water ingress through permeable masonry of < 10 litres/hour/m2, to accord with values for kitemark products, still needs further work.

Details

Structural Survey, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-080X

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Article
Publication date: 6 May 2014

Bingunath Ingirige and Gayan Wedawatta

Amidst the current economic climate, which places many constraints on expensive flood defence schemes, the policy makers tend to favour schemes that are sympathetic to the needs…

Abstract

Purpose

Amidst the current economic climate, which places many constraints on expensive flood defence schemes, the policy makers tend to favour schemes that are sympathetic to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and which promote empowering local communities based on their individual local contexts. Research has shown that although several initiatives are in place to create behavioural change among SMEs in undertaking adaptation approaches against flooding, they often tend to delay their responses by means of a “wait and see” attitude. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper argues that unless there are conscious efforts in the policy-making community to undertake explicit measures to engage with SMEs in a collaborative way, the uptake of adaptation measures will not be achieved as intended. With the use of the “honest broker” approach the paper provides a conceptual way forward of how a sense of collaboration can be instigated in an engagement process between the policy makers and SMEs, so that the scientific knowledge is translated in an appropriately rational way, which best meets the expectations of the SMEs.

Findings

The paper proposes a conceptual model for engaging SMEs that will potentially increase the uptake of flood adaptation measures by SMEs. This could be a useful model with which to kick start a collaborative engagement process that could escalate to wider participation in other areas to improve impact of policy initiatives.

Originality/value

The paper lays the conceptual foundation for a new theoretical base in the area, which will encourage more empirical investigations that will potentially enhance the practicality of some of the existing policies.

Details

Structural Survey, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-080X

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Article
Publication date: 6 May 2014

Rotimi Joseph, David Proverbs, Jessica Lamond and Peter Wassell

There has been a significant increase in flooding in the UK over the past ten years. During this time, Government policy has moved from investment in flood defences towards…

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Abstract

Purpose

There has been a significant increase in flooding in the UK over the past ten years. During this time, Government policy has moved from investment in flood defences towards encouraging property owners to take responsibility for reducing the impact of flooding. One of the ways in which this can be achieved is for homeowners to adapt their properties to flood risk by implementing property level flood risk adaptation (PLFRA) measures. While there has been some attempt to develop an understanding of the benefits of such measures, these previous studies have their limitations in that the intangible benefits have not been fully considered. As such, there remains a need for further development of these studies towards developing a more comprehensive understanding of PLFRA measures. It is against this background the purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual cost benefit analysis (CBA) framework for PLFRA measure. This framework brings together the key parameters of the costs and benefits of adapting properties to flood risk including the intangible benefits, which have so far been overlooked in previous studies.

Design/methodology/approach

A critical review of the standard methods and existing CBA models of PLFRA measures was undertaken. A synthesis of this literature and the literature on the nature of flooding and measures to reduce and eliminate their impacts provides the basis for the development of a conceptual framework of the costs and benefits of PLFRA measures. Within the developed framework, particular emphasis is placed on the intangible impacts, as these have largely been excluded from previous studies in the domain of PLFRA measures.

Findings

The framework provides a systematic way of assessing the costs and benefits of PLFRA measures. A unique feature of the framework is the inclusion of intangible impacts, such as anxiety and ill health, which are known to be difficult to measure. The study proposes to implement one of the stated preference methods (SPM) of valuation to measure these impacts, known as the willingness to pay method, as part of a survey of homeowners. The inclusion of these intangible impacts provides the potential to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the benefit cost ratio (BCR) for different stakeholders. The newly developed CBA conceptual framework includes four principal components: the tangible benefits to insurers; the tangible benefits to the government; the tangible benefits to homeowners; and the intangible benefits to homeowners.

Originality/value

This tool offers the potential to support government policy concerned with increasing the uptake of PLFRA measures through increasing the information available to homeowners and thereby supporting the decision-making process.

Details

Structural Survey, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-080X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 November 2018

Kristine Pytash, Todd Hawley and Kate Morgan

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of using digital shorts (Pytash et al., 2017) focusing on social issues in social studies classrooms.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of using digital shorts (Pytash et al., 2017) focusing on social issues in social studies classrooms.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative case study is used in this study.

Findings

Digital shorts focused on important social issues, and included their beliefs and perspectives about their social issue, as well as insights into their developing identities as citizens. The authors’ findings demonstrate how this assignment can be the gateway for discussions regarding social issues, how students perceive their identities tied to contemporary social issues, and how they make sense of these issues within multimodal compositions.

Research limitations/implications

The findings from this research have implications for researching the effectiveness of digital media production analysis for students’ learning of social issues.

Practical implications

The findings from this research have implications for exploring how digital media production analysis can be incorporated into social studies courses.

Originality/value

Although the push for social studies teachers to provide spaces for students to demonstrate these capacities, few examples exist in the literature.

Details

Social Studies Research and Practice, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1933-5415

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 April 2019

Klavdia Markelova Evans and Ashley Salaiz

This paper aims to investigate how companies can retain their ability to recognize, seize and maintain opportunities.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how companies can retain their ability to recognize, seize and maintain opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual work is built on existing research about an organization’s dynamic capabilities and literature on judgment under uncertainty.

Findings

This study offers specific ways in which companies can develop the dynamic capability of identifying new opportunities and, most importantly, how firms can maintain this rare dynamic capability for significant periods, so that they can harvest the benefits offered by owning this capability.

Practical implications

This study’s specific insights equip practitioners with turn-key information on how to build or maintain a firm’s unique ability to sense and capture an opportunity via the enhancement of the firm’s portfolio of simple rules.

Originality/value

This research introduces a novel idea about micro-foundations of a firm’s dynamic capabilities and theoretically argues that a favorable organizational culture and individuals’ rules of thumb can form a company’s dynamic ability to sense and seize an opportunity in high-velocity markets.

Details

Journal of Business Strategy, vol. 40 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0275-6668

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Article
Publication date: 20 October 2023

Klavdia Markelova Evans, Ashley Salaiz and Rob Austin McKee

This paper aims to address an important question of what makes companies succeed or not in their attempt to empower employees. As this study answers this question, the arguments…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to address an important question of what makes companies succeed or not in their attempt to empower employees. As this study answers this question, the arguments suggest that coordination is essential to creation of employee empowerment climate in organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

This is conceptual paper rooted in extensive research on both – empowerment (culture, climate and organizational structure) and coordination (formal and informal).

Findings

To help managers to be effective in their roles, this study presents four insights to creating empowerment climate. The arguments conclude that coordination provides a vessel for successful realization of empowerment. Specifically, only informal coordination (vs formal) will fully realize empowerment’s benefits. Given that the topic of empowerment is highly germane to managers in today’s context of the increasing number of employees working remotely, this work presents an important and actionable advance for managers.

Originality/value

This study represents original research that has not been published and is not currently under review at any other journal.

Article
Publication date: 28 March 2022

Ashley J. Maister, Caitlin McCarthy, Lee G. Ruszczyk, Rachael Evans and Megan E. Maroney

Integrated health care occurs when specialty and general care providers work together to address both the physical and mental health needs of their patients. The Substance Abuse…

Abstract

Purpose

Integrated health care occurs when specialty and general care providers work together to address both the physical and mental health needs of their patients. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration model of integration is broken into six levels of coordinated, co-located and integrated care. Our institution offers both co-located and integrated care among eight clinic sites. The care team is typically composed of the primary care provider, nurse and medical assistant, but other professionals may be introduced based on the patient’s medical and psychiatric conditions. The purpose of this prospective, quality improvement study was to compare the rates of adherence to long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIAs) between both types of integrated primary care settings at our institution. The comparison of the two settings sought to determine which environment provides improved outcomes for patients with serious psychiatric illnesses. Additionally, we aimed to assess the quality of medication-related monitoring and care team composition between care settings, and the ability of pharmacists to deliver interprofessional care team training and education on LAI use in clinical practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Subjects were identified and included in the study if they had received primary care services from our institution within the previous 12 months. Patient demographic and laboratory variables were collected at baseline and when clinically indicated. The rates of adherence between care settings were assessed at intervals that align with the medication’s administration schedule (e.g. every four weeks). Medication-related monitoring parameters were collected at baseline and when clinically indicated. The interprofessional care team completed Likert scale surveys to evaluate the pharmacist’s LAIA education and training.

Findings

There was not a statistically significant difference detected between integrated primary care settings on the rates of adherence to LAIAs. Additionally, there was not a statistically significant difference between rates of adherence to medication-related monitoring parameters or the effect of the patient treatment team composition. There was a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-session survey scores following interprofessional education and training provided by a pharmacist.

Originality/value

Because overall rates of adherence were low, both primary care settings were found to be equivalent. Our study may have been underpowered to detect a difference in the primary endpoint because of the small sample size. However, our study demonstrates that interprofessional education and training may lend itself to changes in practice, which is evident by the clinically significant relative increase in adherence. The Henry J. Austin Health Center network will be implementing a standard operating procedure regarding LAIA management within the primary care setting. Further studies are needed to assess a larger number of patients between both types of primary care settings, as well as the impact of the clinical psychiatric pharmacist as a member of the treatment team.

Details

Journal of Integrated Care, vol. 30 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1476-9018

Keywords

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