Search results

Reports on an audit of service organizations, clinical care and casemix. The sample included up to 40 consecutive cases of acute stroke (1CD10 161‐164) from each trust, admitted from 1 January to 31 March 1998 and 1 August to 31 October 1999. Feedback consisted of individualized reports showing participants’ own results compared to the national data, and regional multidisciplinary workshops between audit rounds. A total of 197 (81 per cent) trusts (6,894 cases) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland participated in the first round, and 175 (72 per cent) (5,823 cases) in the second. Of the 38 organisational standards, 29 improved between 1998 and 1999 (range 1‐20 per cent, median 5 per cent); 64 of the 71 process standards improved (range 1‐20 per cent, median 8 per cent). Inter‐rater reliability was good with kappa scores of 0.49 to 0.87. National multidisciplinary, cross sector audit is feasible and can promote service improvements. Comparison of participants’ results to national data is a useful way of identifying areas needing change at local level.

The aim of this paper is to critically explore the behavioral assumptions of organizational politics, as well as to reconsider and redefine the premises of political behavior in the workplace. The main objective is examination of the presuppositions associated with the possibility of constructive politics in organizational settings.

The deficiencies of explaining managerial activity as solely regulated by self‐interest are discussed, as well as a revised version of self‐interest that may enrich current understanding of workplace politics. Drawing on the respective literature, the authors develop some propositions and suggest, assess and discuss a conceptual framework that integrates self‐interest and constructive politics.

The paper represents an attempt toward inferring positive political behavior through adopting an alternative view of established behavioral assumptions. This view purports to reduce the existing discrepancy between different types of political behavior in defending the possibility of an inclusive, participative and welfare‐enhancing political process, founded on the pro‐social and reciprocating aspects of human interaction. Boundedly selfish organizational members are expected to demonstrate these qualities that are in position to transform the very nature of political activities to the direction of greater organizational good.

The paper reevaluates the self‐interested nature of organizational politics through the introduction of a bounded self‐interest assumption as more representative of actual human behavior. This new construct embodies those constraints that make trust formation, networking and reciprocities operative in environments effectively embedding political behavior in broader, organizational goal‐oriented processes and structures.

This purpose of this paper is to examine the application and outcomes of applying all of the seven lean flows to pathology laboratory remodelling as part of a lean rapid improvement event (RIE).

Longitudinal case study of a lean RIE linking emergency and pathology departments focusing on the systematic application of lean's seven flows to the physical environment.

Following the lean RIE, changes improving patient specimen, technician, supplies and information flows avoided 187 km and eight days of unnecessary walking each year.

The difficulty of making accurate comparisons between time periods in a health care setting is acknowledged.

This research provides evidence that applying lean design concepts in a laboratory can make substantial improvements, particularly if the expertise of the people working in the laboratory is trusted to determine the most appropriate changes. Significant amounts of time and motion were saved by just one, easily quantifiable change.

The laboratory staff is processing increased numbers of time-critical tests, yet report a calmer working environment, without any increase in the pace of work. Laboratory personnel also experienced satisfaction in exercising control over their work environment.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first comprehensive report applying lean flows to pathology laboratory remodelling and one of the few applications of Lean Systems Thinking between departments and between separate health services organisations.

The premise that the U.S. Supreme Court never veers too far off from the dominant national political coalition (Dahl, 1957) has become widely accepted among social scientists today. To fulfill that promise, however, the confirmation process for justices must serve as a plebiscite through which the public can ratify or reject future justices based on their views. Unfortunately, modern confirmation hearings have become an exercise in obfuscation, providing little meaningful dialogue on important issues. Because conservative Republican presidents have made the lion's share of appointments in recent times, social conservatives have most often benefited from a process that has severed the link between Supreme Court nominees and the polity they must serve.

Discusses collection building of contemporary German belles‐lettres and introduces 20 contemporary German‐language writers of the younger generation, presenting their bio‐bibliographies. Librarians who are not already collecting these authors might consider expanding their German literature collections by adding some of the works listed.

The purpose of this paper is to explore teachers’ noncompliance with secondary-level standardised literacy testing in Tasmania, Australia, particularly their motivations, behaviours and justifications. This paper challenges pervasive views regarding test noncompliance, suggesting a reframing as “advocacy cheating”: noncompliance for purposes of advocating for and supporting students.

The research used a single case study design, with a simple thematic analysis of the qualitative data. The design enabled data to be collected during one iteration of the examined test regime, with depth of exploration into participants’ experiences and perspectives.

Findings indicate that small number of participants were engaged in test rule noncompliance at all stages of the testing regime: before, during and following the tests. This paper presents the concept of “advocacy cheating”, illustrated in these data through the motivations presented by participants for their noncompliant actions and the forms of noncompliance used.

The small sample size and single site problematise drawing much broader comparisons. The age of the data means that current test processes and requirements have developed. Larger-scale studies might enable identification of ways in which this current regime has and might be improved.

This study’s findings and its focus on the classroom and teacher experience of testing provide insights into a widely debated and publicly important phenomenon.

The concept of “advocacy cheating” provides a newer way of considering and interpreting the range of ways in which teachers implement standardised tests.

The purpose of this paper is to explore enhancing theory development in service research and provide an overview of the five essays on theorizing initiated by the International Network for Service Research workshop, held at Karlstad, Sweden in September 2014.

A collaborative theorizing process which was initiated at the Karlstad, Sweden workshop.

Six (five from the event and the introduction) original and provocative essays that explore different aspects of theorizing in service research.

Exploring how a collaborative approach to research can be used.