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The purpose of this paper is to provide an exploration of Recovery Academy influences upon employment and service use amongst individuals with lived experience of mental health difficulties.

The study utilised a questionnaire design over a nine-month period. Participants’ baseline and follow-up data were analysed to explore the influence of course attendance upon employment and service use.

At follow-up, there was a significant association between participants attending Recovery Academy courses and paid or self-employment (p<0.05). However, there were also no significant differences in service use over time between those who attended courses and those who did not attend any courses.

Further research is required to explore the cost-effectiveness of the Recovery Academy. As participants were all enroled onto the Recovery Academy findings may not be generalisable to other Recovery Colleges. There is a need for more robust research such as a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate multiple Recovery Colleges and establish definitive conclusions as to their economic implications.

There may be value in the Recovery Academy as a gateway to employment, speaking to the transformative powers of Recovery Colleges. The Recovery Academy may serve as a vehicle to support service users to obtain paid or self-employment, and thus promote community reintegration.

This paper offers an important contribution to the Recovery College literature, which remains limited in evaluative evidence, particularly regarding associated economic factors, such as employment and service use.

Recovery Colleges strive to assist individuals in their journey of recovery and help organisations to become more recovery focused. The evidence base surrounding Recovery Colleges is still in its infancy and further research is required to investigate their effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to explore the subjective experience of people involved with a Recovery College: “The Recovery Academy” based in Greater Manchester.

A qualitative study using data collected from four focus groups of Recovery Academy students who have either lived experience of mental health problems, are health professionals or are family members or carers. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Four main themes emerged from discussing experiences of the Recovery Academy and its courses: ethos of the Recovery Academy; personal and organisational impact; value of co-production; and barriers to engagement and impact. The Recovery Academy can have a positive impact on the lives of students who attend the courses and offer benefits to the organisation in which it is run.

Recovery Colleges are gaining large interest nationally. However, to date there is a paucity of research on Recovery Colleges. This is the first paper to be presented for publication specifically on the Recovery Academy. The findings of this study suggest Recovery Colleges have the potential to positively impact students and facilitate recovery oriented organisational change. The findings can add valuable data to the emerging Recovery College evidence base.

The environment in which businesses operate today is uncertain, chaotic, and changing at a more rapid pace than ever before. In this new dynamic world, current approaches to organizational design and processes are not as effective as they have been. Recent research has provided insight into organizational agility as a method to help organizations survive and thrive in these environments. A divergent body of literature is presented that explores agility, learning, and thriving. An exploratory mixed-methods study was conducted at the team level to examine the relationship between these constructs as well as their relationship to performance. Based on the results, we present a series of propositions for future research and provide an illustration of the Components of Agile and Thriving teams to be used as its foundation. The discussion serves to synthesize these initial findings and provide both implications for practice as well as theory.

In this chapter, the authors explore the state of our field in terms of ways to present qualitative findings. The authors analyze all articles based on qualitative research methods published in the Academy of Management Journal from 2010 to 2017 and supplement this by informally surveying colleagues about their “favorite” qualitative authors. As a result, the authors identify five ways of presenting qualitative findings in research articles. The authors suggest that each approach has advantages as well as limitations, and that the type of data and theorizing is an important consideration in determining the most appropriate approach for the presentation of findings. The authors hope that by identifying these approaches, they enrich the way authors, reviewers, and editors approach the presentation of qualitative findings.

The purpose of this paper is to offer guidelines and recommendations for launching and running sustainable programs involving partnerships between industries and universities. Teaching technical writing and communication to fire and emergency services personnel is a task that requires forethought and intricate planning. The Advanced Technical Writing Certificate provided jointly by the Center for Public Safety Excellence and George Mason University balances the unique workplace needs of fire service professionals while working to ensure a high level of transfer and information retention.

This study will describe how the authors have developed and run a successful course series. The methods used to structure the courses are explained in detail, alongside the pedagogical theories that shaped information delivery. This paper offers a detailed guide to program development and implementation.

Providing a uniquely collaborative online environment and designing each module with the purpose of knowledge transfer have created an effective method by which advanced principles can be taught to working professionals in a relatively short period of time. By collaborating with subject matter experts and focusing on the utility of the material, the authors were able to create a highly effective course that served the needs of first responders.

Using the steps detailed in the article, programs like this could be replicated, allowing greater access to workplace learners of all kinds and a pathway to sustainable programs like these in universities. The research also details the importance of an adaptive course that continues to grow and improve.

By modeling the course and making use of experts, students are capable of learning complex topics with ease in a short amount of time.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the matrix organisation in one municipality. It focusses on whether decisions can be based on shared understanding, as well as identifying conflicts and proposed solutions between central administration and the line divisions.

The case study is founded on empirical data from city of Turku, Finland. The data are based on two surveys and participant observation data (employees’ meetings and workshops during 2013-2015).

Conflicts were categorised based on structure, processes, resources, people, and rewards. Conflicts emerged on an individual level, such as role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload. Administrative procedures, personnel resources, scheduling, and personality issues emerged on an organisational level. Conflicts were greater in the line organisation than in central administration, but they did not differ much. Proposed solutions were few, but jointly determined. The value of the matrix was in the creation of a coherent vision. Cross-dimensional steering groups offered fora for identifying problems and solving conflicts, but the ability to realise change was limited, mainly because of a lack of decision-making power.

Methodological limitations relate to the generalisation of the findings.

The study findings call for developing network-based communication models, as well as public management styles adjusted to matrix-type organisations.

The conflicts raised are similar in public-sector organisations and private companies. However, the proposed solutions may vary because of the limited possibilities for a municipal organisation to rectify the problems that emerged.