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1 – 10 of over 19000Gary Blau, Ed Boyer, Kathleen Davis, Richard Flanagan, Sreenu Konda, Than Lam, Andrea Lopez and Christopher Monos
The aim of the paper is to formally test that physical exhaustion is distinguishable from work exhaustion, and to investigate common as well as differential correlates of each…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the paper is to formally test that physical exhaustion is distinguishable from work exhaustion, and to investigate common as well as differential correlates of each type of exhaustion.
Design/methodology/approach
An on‐line survey sample of 1,895 complete‐data massage therapists and body workers (MT & BWs) was used to test the study hypotheses.
Findings
Factor analytic support was found for distinguishable measures of work exhaustion and physical exhaustion. In separate regression models common significant correlates for both types of exhaustion included: gender (females higher), higher surface acting, higher accumulated and continuing education occupational costs, and lower job satisfaction. However, job satisfaction had a significantly stronger negative correlation to work exhaustion versus physical exhaustion. Looking at impact on occupational outcomes, physical exhaustion had a stronger positive correlation to being forced to stay in occupation than work exhaustion, but work exhaustion had a stronger positive correlation to intent to leave occupation than physical exhaustion. Unique correlates for work exhaustion included more years in practice and lower education level, while unique correlates for physical exhaustion included: more average days worked/week, higher deep acting, and higher occupational identification.
Research limitations/implications
From a measurement perspective, the three‐item measure of physical exhaustion and five item measure of work exhaustion each had a good reliability. However, ideally more items should be used to measure physical exhaustion, and other work exhaustion scales should be utilized to validate the results. Expanding the job demands‐resources framework to also include occupational‐level variables, such as accumulated costs, seems to hold promise for helping to further understand the antecedents of exhaustion.
Practical implications
Work and physical exhaustion can impact on occupational outcomes and are risks for other samples such as nurses, home health care aides, physical therapists, and athletic trainers. Many MT & BWs work alone and meditation is suggested as an effective method to improve job satisfaction, reduce work exhaustion and decrease occupational intent to leave.
Originality/value
The paper uses a sample of massage therapists and body workers and overall the findings suggest that work exhaustion and physical exhaustion are related but distinct exhaustion components.
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Tatyana Bazarova, Walentina Waganova, Nina Dagbaeva, Sergei Namsaraev and Galina Fomizkaya
The purpose of this paper is to investigate continuing pedagogical education from a new perspective that is especially relevant during the development of an information society.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate continuing pedagogical education from a new perspective that is especially relevant during the development of an information society.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodological framework of the study builds on the concept of teacher’s personality establishment in the system of pedagogical education. Main stages of professional development were studied on the basis of educational institutions of the Baikal region. Thus, experiments were conducted at the Pedagogical Institute, Buryat State University Continuing Education Institute, Buryat Republic Institute of Educational Policy and the Buryat Republic Pedagogical College. The study used internship platforms of the above educational institutions.
Findings
The study shows how the open online pedagogical space, which includes internship and innovative platforms, specialized departments, governing agencies on education, certificate centers, scientific and cultural institutions, higher educational institutions, and schools, reveals the model of continuing pedagogical education in regions.
Practical implications
Individual forms of advanced training are proposed. Optimal ways to create a competitive environment in the system of professional development were identified by the authors.
Originality/value
The reformation of the regional system of advanced training and its transition to a new level of quality allows organizing continuing improvement of teachers’ professional competencies effectively. This paper can improve the professional competence of teachers, which will have a positive effect on the educational process and academic performance of students in general. The next stage in the improvement of teachers’ competence can involve an exchange of experience at international conferences and participation in joint international educational programs.
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Historically, schools in the United States of America have zealously assumed the task of equipping people with the scholastic abilities to cope with life. Indeed, it is generally…
Abstract
Historically, schools in the United States of America have zealously assumed the task of equipping people with the scholastic abilities to cope with life. Indeed, it is generally said that one submits to formal schooling “to get an education”. But graduates of traditional secondary school and college curricula are now asking: What work was I prepared for? Clearly something fundamental has gone wrong with the educational system. This is evidenced by US Government statistics which show that more than 2m. students leave school each year without adequate preparation for a working life. At the same time there is a shortage of skilled and semi‐skilled workers. According to the National Advisory Council on Vocational Education, millions of jobs are going begging while:
Alexander W. Wiseman, Audree Chase-Mayoral, Thomas Janis and Anu Sachdev
Evidence suggests that community colleges worldwide adhere to a culturally-embedded institutional charter that celebrates and accommodates local cultural norms and social…
Abstract
Evidence suggests that community colleges worldwide adhere to a culturally-embedded institutional charter that celebrates and accommodates local cultural norms and social, political and economic needs in communities around the world. Using this as a foundation, the authors present a dilemma to readers because there are both many communities and nations where the community college model has expanded and established itself while simultaneously many communities and nations around the world where community colleges do not exist or have been resisted. This unique phenomenon of both global expansion and targeted indifference becomes the focus of this chapter and an introduction to the chapters to follow.
Lena Ansmann, Vera Vennedey, Hendrik Ansgar Hillen, Stephanie Stock, Ludwig Kuntz, Holger Pfaff, Russell Mannion and Kira Isabel Hower
Healthcare systems are under pressure to improve their performance, while at the same time facing severe resource constraints, particularly workforce shortages. By applying…
Abstract
Purpose
Healthcare systems are under pressure to improve their performance, while at the same time facing severe resource constraints, particularly workforce shortages. By applying resource-dependency-theory (RDT), we explore how healthcare organizations in different settings perceive pressure arising from uncertain access to resources and examine organizational strategies they deploy to secure resources.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional survey of key decision-makers in different healthcare settings in the metropolitan area of Cologne, Germany, on perceptions of pressure arising from the environment and respective strategies was conducted. For comparisons between settings radar charts, Kruskal–Wallis test and Fisher–Yates test were applied. Additionally, correlation analyses were conducted.
Findings
A sample of n = 237(13%) key informants participated and reported high pressure caused by bureaucracy, time constraints and recruiting qualified staff. Hospitals, inpatient and outpatient nursing care organizations felt most pressurized. As suggested by RDT, organizations in highly pressurized settings deployed the most vociferous strategies to secure resources, particularly in relation to personnel development.
Originality/value
This study is one of the few studies that focuses on the environment's impact on healthcare organizations across a variety of settings. RDT is a helpful theoretical foundation for understanding the environment's impact on organizational strategies. The substantial variations found between healthcare settings indicate that those settings potentially require specific strategies when seeking to address scarce resources and high demands. The results draw attention to the high level of pressure on healthcare organizations which presumably is passed down to managers, healthcare professionals, patients and relatives.
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Just before the outbreak of World War II I had been sent to RAF Cosford as a technical instructor. When war broke out I was posted to Blackpool to help with the trade training of…
Abstract
Just before the outbreak of World War II I had been sent to RAF Cosford as a technical instructor. When war broke out I was posted to Blackpool to help with the trade training of the many recruits who received their trade instruction in the town's multi‐storey car park. My phase of instruction was to teach the basic principles of hydraulics, and to specialise in specific aircraft hydraulic systems. Sectioned display items were made of the various pumps, control valves, cut‐off valves, hydraulic jacks, etc. Complete aircraft systems were removed from written‐off aircraft and laid out on benches, so that the trainee could manually work the pumps to operate the various hydraulic jacks that raised the undercarriage or operated the flaps.
Patience Emefa Dzandza and Harry Akussah
There has been a significant change in the provision of library services due to the application of technology to every aspect of library services. This has posed a major challenge…
Abstract
Purpose
There has been a significant change in the provision of library services due to the application of technology to every aspect of library services. This has posed a major challenge to library staff as they need to be abreast with current technologies and their application to library services. One means by which a librarian can overcome this challenge is through professional development (PD) programs. The purpose of this paper is to determine PD opportunities in private university libraries in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional survey of 61 staff and interviews with 20 heads of libraries was conducted to collect data from 25 private universities in Ghana.
Findings
The study revealed that not all library staff in the private universities were allowed to attend PD programs. None of the private universities studied had a policy on PD and only three institutions made budgetary allocation to PD programs. Majority of the private universities did not have in-house PD programs and there were no means of knowledge sharing in most of the libraries studied.
Originality/value
In this paper, the researchers identified the major challenges encountered by library staff in private universities in Ghana and propose that librarians should see PD as a part of their own responsibility while, libraries should have a PD policy and make budgetary allocation toward PD.
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Stan Lester and Jolanta Religa
The purpose of this paper is to review the use of “competence” as a concept and through the use of occupational competence standards in six European countries.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the use of “competence” as a concept and through the use of occupational competence standards in six European countries.
Design/methodology/approach
Partners in an Erasmus+ project in each of the six countries prepared a review of the use of “competence” in their countries using a common template. The authors of this paper reviewed additional literature, summarised the individual country reviews and provided an analysis and commentary.
Findings
“Competence” is becoming a widely used concept across Europe, but its interpretation and application both vary. Between them, the countries in the study illustrate the use of separate occupational standards, both as a national strategy and developed by self-governing professions; as well as competence embedded directly in qualification and training specifications. The use of separate standards as a mandatory component in national vocational education and training systems is questioned, while the use of appropriate standards for licensing and qualified status is largely endorsed.
Research limitations/implications
The country reviews were conducted principally from the perspective of informing the developments taking place in the project, so were not comprehensive and also differed in emphasis between countries.
Practical implications
The study points to the need to avoid promoting any particular model of occupational competence at a European level, as opposed to seeking common ground that will aid mutual recognition of qualifications. It also cautions against the uncritical transfer of models and policies from one national system to another.
Originality/value
The paper provides additional evidence against “policy borrowing” without careful consideration of context, and contrasts the use of competence standards as part of a system-wide strategy with their tailored application for specific purposes.
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Mairead Cahill, Rose Galvin and Judith Pettigrew
Retirement is a complex process that can impact daily lives and relationships. While some gender differences in academic retirement experiences have been noted, few studies have…
Abstract
Purpose
Retirement is a complex process that can impact daily lives and relationships. While some gender differences in academic retirement experiences have been noted, few studies have focused exclusively on women academics’ retirement experiences. This follow-up study aims to explore the meaning of retirement and its impact on retired women academics' daily lives and relationships over time from an occupational perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a qualitative, longitudinal descriptive design, semi-structured interviews (n = 11) were completed with women retirees from one university and an academically linked university-level, college of education and liberal arts, in the Republic of Ireland (n = 11). This paper presents the findings of follow-up interviews conducted one year later (n = 10). Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis. A longitudinal analysis was then undertaken using a recurrent cross-sectional approach (Grossoehme and Lipstein, 2016) to enable discussion of changes and continuity that had occurred over time in their daily lives.
Findings
The analysis yielded four themes: (i) continuing to navigate occupational identity challenges, (ii) structuring free time, (iii) appreciating health and well-being and (iv) continuing meaningful professional relationships and activities. Participants described on-going occupational identity challenges linked with contextual factors and experiences of occupational injustices of lack of recognition, lack of inclusion and a lack of choice to continue working in their paid academic employment.
Originality/value
These findings suggest that occupational therapists advocate for older adults, so that meaningful choices in retirement timing can be offered to all equally and so that older people are acknowledged for their contributions to society.
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