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1 – 10 of over 114000Using the backdrop of an (apparently) extended visit to the West Indies, analogies with key concerns of internal audit are drawn. An unusual and refreshing way of exploring the…
Abstract
Using the backdrop of an (apparently) extended visit to the West Indies, analogies with key concerns of internal audit are drawn. An unusual and refreshing way of exploring the main themes ‐ a discussion between Bill and Jack on tour in the islands ‐ forms the debate. Explores the concepts of control, necessary procedures, fraud and corruption, supporting systems, creativity and chaos, and building a corporate control facility.
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Using the backdrop of an (apparently) extended visit to the West Indies, analogies with key concerns of internal audit are drawn. An unusual and refreshing way of exploring the…
Abstract
Using the backdrop of an (apparently) extended visit to the West Indies, analogies with key concerns of internal audit are drawn. An unusual and refreshing way of exploring the main themes ‐ a discussion between Bill and Jack on tour in the islands ‐ forms the debate. Explores the concepts of control, necessary procedures, fraud and corruption, supporting systems, creativity and chaos, and building a corporate control facility.
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David Nicholas, Paul Huntington, Hamid R. Jamali, Ian Rowlands and Maggie Fieldhouse
This study provides evidence on the actual information‐seeking behaviour of students in a digital scholarly environment, not what they thought they did. It also compares student…
Abstract
Purpose
This study provides evidence on the actual information‐seeking behaviour of students in a digital scholarly environment, not what they thought they did. It also compares student information‐seeking behaviour with that of other academic communities, and, in some cases, for practitioners.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were gathered as part of CIBER's ongoing Virtual Scholar programme. In particular log data from two digital journals libraries, Blackwell Synergy and OhioLINK, and one e‐book collection (Oxford Scholarship Online) are utilized.
Findings
The study showed a distinctive form of information‐seeking behaviour associated with students and differences between them and other members of the academic community. For example, students constituted the biggest users in terms of sessions and pages viewed, and they were more likely to undertake longer online sessions. Undergraduates and postgraduates were the most likely users of library links to access scholarly databases, suggesting an important “hot link” role for libraries.
Originality/value
Few studies have focused on the actual (rather than perceived) information‐seeking behaviour of students. The study fills that gap.
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David Murphy and Karen McMorrow
Individuals with an autism spectrum condition (ASC) represent a small proportion of patients detained in high-secure psychiatric care (HSPC) with specific difficulties and needs…
Abstract
Purpose
Individuals with an autism spectrum condition (ASC) represent a small proportion of patients detained in high-secure psychiatric care (HSPC) with specific difficulties and needs. To date there has been little exploration of how these needs are viewed by staff or if staff have unmet needs with regard to working with ASCs. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire examining specific views (on vulnerability, benefits from therapy and making adjustments to practise), knowledge and training needs linked to ASC was distributed to staff who directly worked with patients.
Findings
In total, 206 questionnaires were returned (approximately 60 per cent distributed). Most staff reported making adjustments in their practise and believed patients with an ASC were more vulnerable than other patient groups. Half of staff expressed the view, that whilst patients with an ASC benefited from therapies, they were unaware if an individual’s difficulties were considered in their care. Half of staff believed individuals with an ASC should be managed in a different way. Most staff reported not having adequate skills to work with ASC, a wish for more training and that such training should be mandatory. Other than psychiatrists most staff were unaware of the Autism Act (2009). The need for a specialist ASC ward within HSPC was also highlighted by several staff.
Practical implications
The survey highlights differences in staff experiences of patients with an ASC and view that autism training should be mandatory.
Originality/value
Whilst progress has been made with implementing the government’s Autism Strategy (2010) within HSPC, more awareness training is required in promoting staff confidence to work with this group of patients.
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The Bureau of Economics in the Federal Trade Commission has a three-part role in the Agency and the strength of its functions changed over time depending on the preferences and…
Abstract
The Bureau of Economics in the Federal Trade Commission has a three-part role in the Agency and the strength of its functions changed over time depending on the preferences and ideology of the FTC’s leaders, developments in the field of economics, and the tenor of the times. The over-riding current role is to provide well considered, unbiased economic advice regarding antitrust and consumer protection law enforcement cases to the legal staff and the Commission. The second role, which long ago was primary, is to provide reports on investigations of various industries to the public and public officials. This role was more recently called research or “policy R&D”. A third role is to advocate for competition and markets both domestically and internationally. As a practical matter, the provision of economic advice to the FTC and to the legal staff has required that the economists wear “two hats,” helping the legal staff investigate cases and provide evidence to support law enforcement cases while also providing advice to the legal bureaus and to the Commission on which cases to pursue (thus providing “a second set of eyes” to evaluate cases). There is sometimes a tension in those functions because building a case is not the same as evaluating a case. Economists and the Bureau of Economics have provided such services to the FTC for over 100 years proving that a sub-organization can survive while playing roles that sometimes conflict. Such a life is not, however, always easy or fun.
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Daryl May, Helen Agahi, Phil Askham and Margaret‐Mary Nelson
Agenda for Change is the biggest reform of staff pay in the UK National Health Service (NHS) since it began in 1948. As well as introducing a standardised pay structure; it also…
Abstract
Purpose
Agenda for Change is the biggest reform of staff pay in the UK National Health Service (NHS) since it began in 1948. As well as introducing a standardised pay structure; it also aims to improve recruitment, retention and staff morale. The aim of this study is to look in‐depth at the experiences and opinions of a range of estates and facilities staff surrounding Agenda for Change during the implementation period.
Design/methodology/approach
Focus groups were used as the primary method of data collection in an attempt to tap into the views and opinions of staff working at operational positions in a wide range of trusts.
Findings
One of the most important and common themes, which reoccurred throughout the focus groups, was the view that the Agenda for Change framework was designed around the needs of nursing staff. Therefore, the framework did not adequately cater for the needs of estates and facilities staff. Specific concerns related to this included; the role or contribution of estates and facilities staff during patient care was not fairly reflected; trade qualifications were not recognised, particularly in comparison to academic qualifications; members of the job matching panels did not have the appropriate knowledge to make decisions surrounding estates and facilities jobs; nurses were more likely to make progress through the bands than estates and facilities staff.
Originality/value
This paper would be of use to NHS estates and facilities managers who are currently implementing Agenda for Change or as a general case study on change management.
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The forensic nursing role is complex, creates tensions within itself and is underpinned by core values, knowledge, skills and personal attributes; often referred to as ‘good…
Abstract
The forensic nursing role is complex, creates tensions within itself and is underpinned by core values, knowledge, skills and personal attributes; often referred to as ‘good nurse’ characteristics (Smith & Godfrey, 2002). Forensic nurses perform unique, multifaceted roles; they are viewed by patients as ‘a source of treatment, comfort and advice’, but also as ‘part of the system that deprives them of their liberty’ (United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting & University of Central Lancashire (UKCC & UCLAN), 1999: 42). This is problematic both for nurses and patients. Although appearing as opposites, security and therapeutic characteristics of nurses can and do co‐exist in forensic nursing (Peternelji‐Taylor & Johnson, 1996). Through critical analysis of dialogue from interviews and focus groups, this paper depicts forensic practice with people with a learning disability through a study that explores apparent ‘truths’ about such people detained in forensic settings (here referred to as ‘the men’) and the staff who work with them. Beliefs about nursing characteristics were exposed through discourses present in dialogue between the men and the staff. General research questions included: (1) What are the discourses related to learning disability and forensic practice? (2) What ideologies underpin and justify forensic practice? (3) What in particular are the positive discourses? Related discussion is primarily concerned with the way that staff and men share relationships and with characteristics of the nursing staff. Findings generally suggest that the staff may be viewed as prison wardens, leading to relationships of mistrust. Paradoxically, there are also positive discourses identifying warm and therapeutic relationships and good nurse characteristics of the staff. This may have practice implications, such as enabling staff to hear positive views expressed by the men and begin to develop metrics of ‘good’ forensic nurse characteristics that may positively affect treatment.
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The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore perceptions of the impact of program participation on parenting styles and behavioral changes using observations and…
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore perceptions of the impact of program participation on parenting styles and behavioral changes using observations and in-depth semi-structured interviews with Black and Coloured staff and mothers at a community-based organization (CBO) in the Western Cape Province (WCP) in South Africa (SA). Purposive sampling was utilized in this research via the CBO and narratives from a total of twenty-three (twelve mothers and eleven staff) interviews form the basis of this manuscript. Data was collected between January – February 2017 and was analyzed through the phenomenological and inductive thematic analysis approach. The staff interviews revealed that child abandonment and neglect and the abuse of women are the two main environmental contextual factors that impact program participation. According to staff, improved self-esteem and positive life changes were identified as successful outcomes of participant involvement. The parent interviews provided examples of emotional issues such as domestic abuse and personal issues with alcohol and drugs as individual factors that impact their program participation. Changes in parenting styles was identified as successful outcomes among parent participants. The goal of this study was to provide much-needed insight into this community by presenting a variety of voices, specifically Black and Coloured men and women, that are underreported in the literature. Findings from this research adds to the knowledge of community-based parenting programs (CBPPs) for low-income and underserved populations in SA and internationally.
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David Knights and John Roberts
The central concern of this monograph is to generate an understanding of the processes of control in industrial relations. Traditionally, the literature has tended to merely…
Abstract
The central concern of this monograph is to generate an understanding of the processes of control in industrial relations. Traditionally, the literature has tended to merely reflect the instrumental interests of management and has thus been preoccupied with the problem of improving the techniques, rather than penetrating the social processes of control. The authors contend that this preoccupation has resulted in a neglect of examining the conditions and consequences of control for production.
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Hollie Bass, Anna Tickle and Nicholas Lewis
The purpose of this paper is to measure service user and staff views of the recovery orientation of three mental health rehabilitation units; two “open” and one “locked”. It…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to measure service user and staff views of the recovery orientation of three mental health rehabilitation units; two “open” and one “locked”. It identified elements of recovery that were important to service users. It measured the units’ performance on domains of recovery, attending to differences between staff members’ and service users’ perceptions and between the locked and open units.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional design was used. Staff and service users completed the “Developing Recovery Enhancing Environment Measure (DREEM)”.
Findings
Findings revealed some differences between staff and service user views. Service users in the locked unit reported the organisational climate to be more recovery oriented on some domains than those in the open units. Service users’ responses highlighted potential areas for service improvement.
Research limitations/implications
The sample was small but reflected the applied setting. Some service users were not invited to participate because of significant communication or cognitive difficulties and it is recognised that they may have had alternative views that remain unrepresented.
Practical implications
The DREEM provided valuable information about current practice and potential for service development. Both locked and open units can provide recovery-oriented environments. Services should be aware of discrepant views between staff and service users.
Originality/value
To the knowledge, this is the first study to use the DREEM to evaluate the recovery orientation of a locked recovery unit and to compare locked and unlocked units.
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