bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of HIV infection on maternal health and mortality
Authors: Moran Neil F. , Moodley Jagidesa
Published: August 2012

The effect of HIV infection on maternal mortality is best documented in South Africa, where HIV prevalence rates in pregnancy are among the highest in the world. Since 1998, detailed data on maternal deaths in South Africa have been available in the form of Confidential Enquiries reports. The latest report (Saving Mothers Report, 2005–2007) suggests that the maternal mortality ratio in HIV‐infected women was about 10 times higher than in uninfected women. This was in a context where only a small minority of HIV‐positive pregnant women were receiving HAART. The most common causes of maternal death among HIV‐positive women were nonpregnancy‐related infections, including AIDS, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and meningitis. HIV‐infected pregnant women were also at greater risk of dying from pregnancy‐related sepsis and complications of abortion than their uninfected counterparts. Reduction of HIV‐related maternal deaths must be seen as a worldwide priority in maternal health care.
Improving maternal and perinatal outcomes in the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: A vision of a community‐focused approach
Authors: von Dadelszen Peter , Ansermino J. Mark , Dumont Guy , Hofmeyr G. Justus , Magee Laura A. , Mathai Matthews , Sawchuck Diane , Teela Kate , Donnay France , Roberts James M. ,   PRE‐EMPT (PRE‐eclampsia‐Eclampsia Monitoring, Prevention and Treatment) Group
Published: August 2012

The hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP; pre‐existing hypertension, gestational hypertension, and pre‐eclampsia) remain important causes of maternal morbidity and mortality, especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries. The paper summarizes the current state of evidence around possible technologies to support community‐based improvements in maternal and perinatal outcomes for women with pre‐eclampsia. Through the testing and, where proven, introduction of these technologies, we believe that HDP‐related progress toward achieving Millennium Development Goal 5 can best be accelerated. The evidence and discussion are presented under the following headings: (1) prediction; (2) prevention; (3) diagnosis; (4) risk stratification; (5) decision aids; (6) treatment; (7) geographic information systems; (8) communication; and (9) community and patient education.
Sexual and reproductive health needs of young people: Matching needs with systems
Authors: Braeken Doortje , Rondinelli Ilka
Published: August 2012

Access to services is a central concern surrounding the promotion of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of young people. A more holistic (so‐called “positive”) approach toward SRHR is needed, as is provision of services that tackle sexual and gender‐based violence, sexual diversity, discrimination, relationship issues, and fears and concerns about sex and sexuality. Despite efforts to provide youth‐friendly services, the uptake of services by young people is very low. What must be taken into account are young people's pathways to seeking services; and the specific barriers they face before getting to the services, while receiving services, and after leaving the service delivery sites. Attention to the perceptions and needs of young people is essential, along with development of policies, services, and programs that address those needs, particularly the youth‐friendly approach to service delivery.
Pilot study of single‐use obstetric emergency medical kits to reduce maternal mortality
Authors: Ouma Mercy N. , Chemwolo Benjamin T. , Pastakia Sonak , Christoffersen‐Deb Astrid , Washington Sierra
Published: August 2012

Objective

To describe the experience at a single facility regarding single‐use emergency medication kits to treat obstetric emergencies in a resource‐poor setting.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted between October 2009 and October 2010 using data from the medical records of all patients treated with a single‐use obstetric emergency medical kit (E‐kit) during admission at the Riley Mother and Baby Hospital Wing, Eldoret, Kenya. Descriptive analyses were performed to quantify proportions of emergencies treated using E‐kits in the first year of implementation. Summary statistics regarding maternal mortality from October 2008 to October 2010 were also retrieved to evaluate differences in the maternal mortality rates in the year of E‐kit implementation and the year preceding implementation in order to estimate maternal mortalities averted with E‐kit implementation.

Results

In the first year of implementation, 192 patients were treated using E‐kits. Overall, 144 kits were used for treating postpartum hemorrhage, 52 for treating severe pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia, and 1 for treating cardiopulmonary shock. There was a 30% reduction in maternal mortality ratio with E‐kit implementation; however, results did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusion

The results indicate that single‐use E‐kits may help to achieve a significant reduction in hospital rates of maternal mortality.
Pregnancy and delivery following midurethral sling surgery for stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Huser Martin , Belkov Ivan A. , Janku Petr , Sedlakova Katerina
Published: August 2012

Objective

To analyze the available clinical evidence on the continued effectiveness of midurethral sling (MUS) surgery for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women who become pregnant and undergo delivery, and then to determine the optimal mode of delivery for such women.

Methods

An online search was carried out to retrieve the available evidence regarding the risk of SUI recurrence during pregnancy and after delivery following a successful MUS treatment. Appropriate keywords were used to identify all relevant reports published from 1996 through 2011. Basic patient characteristics, mode of delivery, and presence of SUI during pregnancy and the postpartum were analyzed.

Results

No more than 36 relevant cases were found. The overall urinary continence rates were 91.7% during pregnancy and 80.6% during the postpartum. Most (58.3%) of the women were delivered vaginally.

Conclusion

The evidence indicates that the risk of SUI recurrence is not significantly different after a vaginal or a cesarean delivery. In women successfully treated with a MUS, pregnancy care and delivery mode therefore need to be considered case by case, according to factors other than the risk of recurrence.
Ukrainian foreign policy from independence to inertia
Authors: D’Anieri Paul
Published: August 2012

In the early years of independence, Ukraine’s crucial accomplishment was the establishment a degree of sovereignty and independence that few thought possible. Since that time, Ukrainian foreign policy has largely stagnated. Despite attempts of various internal leaders to adopt decisive policies, and despite significant external pressure, Ukraine has done very little. This paper reviews the first 20 years of Ukrainian foreign policy and accounts for the inertia that has developed. Ukraine’s foreign policy passivity results from three uneasy balances: an external balance between the pulls of Russia and the West; an internal balance between Ukraine’s regions, and an internal balance between forces of democracy and authoritarianism. These balances mean that while few are happy with Ukraine’s policy, no one has been able to decisively change it. While Ukraine’s domestic regional division is unlikely to change, change in the balance between domestic political forces or that between international forces could reduce the inertia in Ukrainian foreign politics, most likely leading to a drift toward Russia.
Late glacial and Holocene sedimentation, vegetation, and climate history from easternmost Beringia (northern Yukon Territory, Canada)
Authors: Fritz Michael , Herzschuh Ulrike , Wetterich Sebastian , Lantuit Hugues , De Pascale Gregory P. , Pollard Wayne H. , Schirrmeister Lutz
Published: August 2012

Beringian climate and environmental history are poorly characterized at its easternmost edge. Lake sediments from the northern Yukon Territory have recorded sedimentation, vegetation, summer temperature and precipitation changes since ~ 16 cal ka BP. Herb-dominated tundra persisted until ~ 14.7 cal ka BP with mean July air temperatures ≤ 5°C colder and annual precipitation 50 to 120 mm lower than today. Temperatures rapidly increased during the Bølling/Allerød interstadial towards modern conditions, favoring establishment ofBetula-Salixshrub tundra. Pollen-inferred temperature reconstructions recorded a pronounced Younger Dryas stadial in east Beringia with a temperature drop of ~ 1.5°C (~ 2.5 to 3.0°C below modern conditions) and low net precipitation (90 to 170 mm) but show little evidence of an early Holocene thermal maximum in the pollen record. Sustained low net precipitation and increased evaporation during early Holocene warming suggest a moisture-limited spread of vegetation and an obscured summer temperature maximum. Northern Yukon Holocene moisture availability increased in response to a retreating Laurentide Ice Sheet, postglacial sea level rise, and decreasing summer insolation that in turn led to establishment ofAlnus-Betulashrub tundra from ~ 5 cal ka BP until present, and conversion of a continental climate into a coastal-maritime climate near the Beaufort Sea.
Spezifische Normierung des Trierer Inventars zum chronischen Stress (TICS) zur diagnostischen Anwendung im Spitzensport
Authors: Hoffmann Karen , Sallen Jeffrey
Published: August 2012

Zusammenfassung: In diesem Beitrag wird das Trierer Inventar zum chronischen Stress (TICS; Schulz, Schlotz & Becker, 2004 ) vorgestellt und seine Eignung für die Anwendung im Spitzensport diskutiert. Dazu werden spezifische Normen für die Gruppe der Spitzensportler präsentiert. Das TICS misst chronischen Stress differenziert in neun Stressbereichen. Seine inhaltliche Struktur lässt sich faktorenanalytisch aus den Testwerten von Spitzensportlern replizieren. Die Skalen besitzen gute bis sehr gute interne Konsistenzen. Das Instrument kann in seiner Originalform zur Diagnostik im Spitzensport herangezogen werden. Für die Interpretation von Testergebnissen werden jedoch spezifische Normen für Spitzensportler empfohlen. Die Normstichprobe besteht aus 395 A- bis D-Kaderathleten olympischer Sportarten ab einem Alter von 16 Jahren. Berechnet wurden standardisierte Normen (T-Werte) auf der Basis der Gesamtstichprobe sowie separat für beide Geschlechter. Diese ermöglichen den Vergleich mit Testwerten von Spitzensportlern und gewährleisten eine den Besonderheiten der Zielgruppe angepasste Interpretation von Testergebnissen. Zur Interpretation werden mehrere Orientierungsmaße und ein Anwendungsbeispiel bereitgestellt.
Täuschungshandlungen im Sport
Authors: Alaboud Mustafa Alhaj Ahmad , Steggemann Yvonne , Klein-Soetebier Timo , Kunde Wilfried , Weigelt Matthias
Published: August 2012

Zusammenfassung: Im Sport nutzen viele Spieler/innen eine Blicktäuschung (z. B. beim Zuspielpass), um ihre wahren Handlungsabsichten zu verschleiern. Eine aktuelle Studie von Kunde et al. (2011) zeigt, dass die Blickrichtung eines Gegenspielers mehr oder weniger automatisch verarbeitet wird und die Reaktion auf die Passrichtung erschwert, wenn Pass- und Blickrichtung nicht übereinstimmen (sog. Blicktäuschung). Die vorliegende Untersuchung prüft, ob die Häufigkeit, mit der Blicktäuschungen auftreten, deren Wirksamkeit verändert. Dabei sollten die Versuchspersonen (Vpn) auf eine Blicktäuschung langsamer reagieren (d. h. großer Täuschungseffekt), wenn insgesamt weniger Täuschungen präsentiert werden, und schneller reagieren (d. h. geringer Täuschungseffekt), wenn die Blicktäuschung sehr häufig gezeigt wird. In Experiment 1 wurde den Vpn dafür ein statisches Bild von einem Spieler am Bewegungsende präsentiert, der einen Druckpass nach links oder rechts ausführt. Die Blickrichtung konnte dabei mit der Passrichtung übereinstimmen (kongruente Bedingung) oder nicht übereinstimmen (inkongruente Bedingung). Die Vpn sollten so schnell wie möglich entscheiden, wohin der Spieler den Ball spielt. In Experiment 2 wurden zwei statische Bilder (Ausgangs- und Endposition der Bewegung) in kurzer Abfolge hintereinander präsentiert, so dass beim Betrachter eine Scheinbewegung induziert wurde. Die Anzahl der Blicktäuschungen wurde in jeweils drei Blöcken (25 %, 50 %, 75 % Blicktäuschungen) variiert. Beide Experimente zeigen, dass der Täuschungseffekt abnimmt, wenn die Blicktäuschung insgesamt häufiger präsentiert wird. Ferner zeigt sich in Experiment 1 (und zumindest numerisch in Experiment 2) ein reduzierter Täuschungseffekt, wenn die Blicktäuschung zweimal hintereinander auftritt. Die Befunde bergen wichtige Implikationen für die Sportpraxis; insbesondere, wenn es darum geht, Spieler über den taktischen Einsatz von Täuschungshandlungen zu instruieren.
The potential of inter‐state collaboration for Omani academic libraries
Authors: Al‐Harrasi Nabhan , Al‐Aufi Ali
Published: August 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the attitudes and views of library directors and key librarians on issues related to library collaboration and its impact on the welfare of advanced and cost‐effective systems of library and information services.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was utilized through the use of semi‐structured, face‐to‐face interviews for collecting needed data from library directors and key librarians in four major universities located in diverse regions in Oman. Collected data were transcribed and relevant themes and patterns were identified following an interpretive thematic approach.

Findings

Results show that participants indicated an overall positive attitude toward library collaboration in an academic setting. They believed in the desired individual and institutional benefits that they would gain if their libraries or parent organizations developed and enhanced a collaborative system. The three most important advantages of collaboration were emphasized. They are: to enlarge and improve the library services, including increasing users' access to inter‐library information resources; to reduce costs by sharing manpower and resources; and to share experience through communication and enhance skills and knowledge of staff through collaborative training.

Practical implications

The paper provides an overview and insights into demanding issues related to academic library collaboration in Oman. The result of this study helps propose a frame‐work or strategy for the purpose of initiating and developing a new system of academic library collaboration in Oman.

Originality/value

Library collaboration, overall, has hardly been studied in Oman, or at least in the context of academic librarianship. This paper highlights the importance of library collaboration and its impact on the changing environment of academic libraries.
Experiential learning and international collaboration opportunities: virtual internships
Authors: Franks Patricia C. , Oliver Gillian C.
Published: August 2012

Purpose

Experiential learning incorporated into library and information science education in the form of a practical placement has long been accepted as important. However, it is not always possible for students to undertake a traditional internship because of constraints associated with the physical location of internship sites. The purpose of this paper is to explore virtual alternatives, in the context of digital curation.

Design/methodology/approach

Surveys exploring the internship experience were conducted of students and supervisors, leading to the development of a pilot study. In addition, discussions were held with possible supervisors in a country with a small population, faced with the challenge of building capability in digital curation.

Findings

The concept of a virtual internship is entirely appropriate given the focus on digital tools, information and systems in digital curation. A new dimension to the traditional internship experience is the potential for sharing expertise internationally, in diverse settings.

Research limitations/implications

Although the paper describes activities taking place through the School of Library & Information Science at San Jose State University, the findings can be used to justify virtual internship programs and develop strategies to be employed by other Schools at the University and other Universities within and outside the USA.

Practical implications

This paper includes implications for the development of successful virtual internship programs on the Master's degree level, including those for students preparing for careers in digital curation.

Originality/value

The paper provides insight into the practical issues associated with incorporating experiential learning into digital curation curricula and signals the potential for approaching internships from a global perspective.
Collaborative assessment
Authors: Mengel Elizabeth , Lewis Vivian
Published: August 2012

Purpose

While originally designed for the for‐profit sector, the Balanced Scorecard has been adopted by non‐profit and government organizations, including some libraries. This paper aims to focus on the continued experiences of two prominent North American research libraries, Johns Hopkins University and McMaster University. These two libraries were part of an Association of Research Libraries (ARL) pilot effort that included a total of four institutions, the two represented by the authors, plus the University of Virginia and the University of Washington.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative aspects of the study are informal and theme‐based. When examining commonalities between Scorecards or overlap between Scorecard measures and the ARL statistics program, matches are made based on broad themes regardless of the specific words used in the formulae.

Findings

The participating libraries identified ten commonly measured “themes.” These themes are defined as key areas of focus present in three out of the four local sites. Using the standardized four‐perspective Scorecard framework, these themes are as follows: the customer – quality of physical space, customer satisfaction, instruction, document delivery, and collection preservation/discovery; financial health – revenue generation; learning and growth – employee satisfaction and diversity; internal processes – library promotion and assessment of services.

Originality/value

The article explores the question; can libraries improve their arsenal of assessment tools by working alongside each other (as opposed to directly with each other) as they implement local organizational performance measurement instruments?
Designing a user and usage database to promote, market, and demonstrate the value of selected statewide databases
Authors: McClure Charles R. , Mandel Lauren H. , Weissenberger Lynnsey K.
Published: August 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to overview the development of a user and usage database, including multiple datasets that were combined to achieve multi‐faceted analysis of users and their usage of the Florida Electronic Library (a statewide, licensed database).

Design/methodology/approach

Because of the differences in the purposes and activities among the project's five phases, the research team employed a multi‐method approach to data collection, including content analysis of datasets, usability and functionality assessments of the beta database, and cross‐tab and descriptive statistical analyses of datasets in the final database.

Findings

Researchers found first that, although numerous potential datasets existed, not all could be collated into one interactive database due to variations in measurement levels, currency, and other factors. Ultimately, the database included usage and Census data, allowing the researchers to assess usage per capita and in the context of counties' demographic profiles. The research finds that creation of a multi‐dataset database can be complicated but is useful for developing data‐driving marketing recommendations.

Originality/value

Compiling various datasets describing users and usage of a consortial licensed database into one interactive database facilitates cross‐tabulation and comparison. This project will enhance digital library research, evaluation, and marketing by serving as an example of how to identify appropriate datasets for cross‐tabulation, develop a database that allows interactive searching, use the database to develop targeted marketing campaigns, and better describe impacts and value of these datasets.
Measuring use of licensed electronic resources
Authors: Thomas Dana , Davidson Catherine , Kyrillidou Martha , Plum Terry
Published: August 2012

Purpose

Entering into its 11th year, the Ontario Council of University Libraries' Scholars Portal (www.scholarsportal.info/) is in its second year of systematic evaluation of its content and services. This paper aims to examine this iteration.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper focuses on the 2010‐2011 results and provides a brief description of the differences between the two implementations.

Findings

This paper presents key findings from the OCUL data analysis that address the research questions proposed by the study. How does the use of consortial products compare to that of individually‐licensed content? What can we infer from those results about the profile and visibility of these collections? How are patrons discovering different formats such as e‐books? Who are these patrons, and why are they using electronic collections? The paper examines the implications of running the survey in mandatory and optional modes, the characteristics of the non‐respondents of web‐based, intercept surveys in the academic institution, the efficacy of surveying users through an open‐URL resolver and other issues that present themselves when attempting to survey a large user base across a consortium versus an individual institution.

Originality/value

The originality and value of this survey are the following: the use of SFX as the instrument for the intercept survey on a consortial scale; the use of the every nth sampling plan; the longitudinal comparison of results collected over time from a large research consortium; the purpose of use by consortium, by institution, and by top ten vendors; the examination of ebook usage by classification of user and by purpose of use; and the ability of this methodology to provide a continuous evaluation of the use of networked electronic resources.
Leadership competencies: a reference point for development and evaluation
Authors: Jantti Margie , Greenhalgh Nick
Published: August 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish a transparent, integrated approach to leadership competency development and succession management to respond to drivers associated with an ageing workforce, leadership drain and the enticement of people into leadership roles.

Design/methodology/approach

A consultant was engaged to facilitate a review of the UOW Library's leadership situation. Key to this process and subsequent activities was the use of the Lominger Leadership competencies; measurable characteristics related to success in the workplace to establish the desired leadership profile. Career interviews, professional coaching and targeted assignments were integral to the development of needed competencies.

Findings

The paper finds that feedback from peers, managers and staff was a significant component of the evaluation strategy. Formal assessment took place through the use of the Lominger's VOICES® 360‐degree feedback instrument, an institutional employee climate survey and recertification against the Investors in People standard. Results showed improved self‐confidence in leaders, a greater preparedness to address underperformance, and that career and developmental plans were more considered and constructive in their design. Significant improvement in leadership performance was noted in a later employee climate survey.

Practical implications

A commitment by the executive or senior leadership team is critical to this type of developmental program. Considerable energy and time is required from all parties involved, e.g. scheduling time for workshops, coaching sessions, subsequent actions and review; challenging in an environment of ever‐increasing priorities. Challenging also is the management of perceptions and expectations of staff. There was some disaffection from staff who were not included in the first round of coaching. Subsequently, opportunities to support both external and internal coaching are being investigated.

Originality/value

A commitment to new methods to support and evaluate leadership development initiatives resulted in changed perceptions of leadership aspiration, aptitude and ability. The identification of required competencies provided improved goal clarity, insight on how to become skilled in a given competency, and a reference point for evaluation. Importantly the performance of leaders has improved. There is qualitative and quantitative data to demonstrate both a commitment to leadership development and the application of desired behaviours associated with the competencies. The capacity to grow and promote from within has also improved; evidence that the succession management initiative is being achieved.
“Only if she is sexy”
Authors: Yassour‐Borochowitz Dalit
Published: August 2012

Purpose

Ten years have elapsed since the author was a doctoral student and conducted a study on the life stories of abusive men, about which the author writes in the present autoethnography. The research was submitted and earned the author her PhD; the findings were written in a book published in 2003, and the author also had articles published abroad. And yet, not one word of what the author relates here was reported to her supervisor, nor did it appear in any of the publications dealing with that study. This paper seeks to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

In this autoethnography the author describes some episodes that occurred while she was conducting this research and raises some questions regarding feminist research and the power relations between a female researcher and male participants – questions such as “Could it have been less abusive?”, “Why did I not write all this as part of my reflection on myself and my research process?”, “Why did it take me so long to be able to talk about it in a professional forum?”, “Does it happen to every researcher who studies men?”, “Can it happen again?” and “Does it lie somewhere in the seductive part of female interviewer‐male participant relationships?”.

Findings

In light of the episodes described, the paper will discuss the dilemmas of being a woman and a feminist researcher, vulnerable to some male research participants.

Originality/value

The question of a woman researcher's vulnerability is scarcely described in research methodology articles and books.
Being in the academy: a cross generational conversation
Authors: Woodward Kath , Woodward Sophie
Published: August 2012

Purpose

This article aims to develop the methodological and intellectual approach taken in the authors' co‐authored book to explore the synergies and disconnections in the experience of being in the academy at different historical moments using the inter‐relationship between different feminisms in the context of the authors' lived experiences as a mother and daughter whose experience of the academy has crossed second‐wave feminism into third wave. There have been significant demographic, cultural and legislative shifts, but the authors' conversations demonstrate the endurance of imbalances of power and the continuing need for a feminist politics of difference which can engage with contemporary life in the academy.

Design/methodology/approach

This is primarily a theoretical paper that adopts feminist approaches to reflection and dialogue. The article is designed to bring together lived experience across generations, feminist theories and methodologies and the implications for activism. The paper uses the device of “I‐Kath I‐Sophie” as part of an autoethnographic approach to the cross‐generational conversation.

Findings

Far from being redundant, the authors argue that feminist critiques of inequalities that are often manifest in women's invisibility and silence even in the academy in the twenty‐first century – there is still the need to support a politics of difference and to explore ways of giving women a voice. The persistence of inequalities means that feminist battles have not been entirely won. The authors argue for dialogue between the feminisms of mothers and daughters.

Research limitations/implications

Feminist concepts and arguments from what has been called the “second wave” are still useful, especially in relation to maintaining the category woman as a speaking subject who can engage in collective action.

Practical implications

The authors' arguments support the continuation of spaces for women to share experience within the academy, for example in feminist reading groups and through women's networks.

Social implications

Feminist theories and activism remain important political forces for women in the academy today and post feminism is a questionable conceptualisation and phenomenon. In times when feminist battles may seem to have been won there remain issues to explore in relation to a new problem with no name.

Originality/value

The article is original in its authorship, methodological approach to a conversation that crosses experience and theoretical frameworks across generations and in its support for a twenty‐first century politics of difference.
Women academics and feminism in professional military education
Authors: Brown Katherine E. , Syme‐Taylor Victoria
Published: August 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the ways in which gender and feminism are practised in professional military education (PME), which is viewed as an atypical higher education institution, by focusing on the practice and discourse of female academics.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a case study approach using participant observation and semi‐structured interviews. The authors' qualitative analysis is informed by feminist research methods.

Findings

The authors identified a number of key areas around which resistance and accommodation to gender norms are produced: the visual, the vocal and collective action. Analysis of these revealed the everyday practices of academic identities, the gendering of knowledge, and feminist interventions. The authors found that the practices and debates of academic women in PME reflect the wider debates in academia.

Originality/value

PME and its relationship with gender and feminism have rarely been studied. This paper begins that task. The findings of this atypical case also add to the growing body of research on identity, gender, and feminism in academia, as well as to women working in male‐dominated institutions.
Breaking in and breaking out a medical school: feminist academic interrupted?
Authors: Tsouroufli Maria
Published: August 2012

Purpose

Despite the well‐documented resistance to feminism and gender equality within universities, the profound implications for feminist academics have not received sufficient attention. In this paper the author aims to focus on the inauthentication of feminist academic work by powerful actors in higher education and the implications for feminist academic careers. The author illustrates through her professional experience at a UK medical school how the othering and exclusion of feminists, sustained through surveillance and power mechanisms of organisational life, can disrupt and interrupt feminist academic identity.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a reflective piece of work that attempts to illustrate the author's experiences of occupational segregation and marginalisation within a patriarchal and an emerging “entrepreneurial” academic department. The author attempts to represent her lived professional experiences as a feminist academic in a medical school, through the use of narrative and metaphors.

Findings

Drawing on notions of othering, interrupted and storied subjectivities, the author illustrates how gendered expectations and constructions of academic performance and success within patriarchal organisations can “make up” and “break up” the professional self and affect the nomadic nature of academic careers and identities.

Practical implications

This paper contributes to theory about workplace identities and practice of gender equality in academia.

Originality/value

The author illustrates how the intersections of identities (feminist, social scientist, woman) can shape personal stories, professional experiences and careers within universities. The author demonstrate how personal stories can uncover gender inequalities and challenge dominant paradigms of knowledge and research within a micro‐web of emotionality and power relations.
Revisiting feminist activism at managerial universities
Authors: Bendl Regine , Schmidt Angelika
Published: August 2012

Purpose

In this paper the authors aim to examine the forms in which feminist activism is played out at contemporary managerial universities and pose the following question: what notions of feminist activism and feminist theory have to be revisited in order to sustain the target of gender equality and support its move further into the centre and the mainstream of managerial universities?

Design/methodology/approach

Based on action research the authors document a workshop which they organised for different constituencies (administrators, researchers and feminist activists) working towards gender equality at an Austrian university and discuss its results in the context of feminist theory.

Findings

The five voices collected at the workshop show that feminist theories are still the underlying guiding principles for feminist activism towards gender equality at managerial universities. As this is the first time that different generations of feminist activists have been present at managerial universities and are working in a top‐down environment supported by administrators responsible for gender equality, common practices that have been successful to implement gender equality in the past have to be refined and new spaces for collaboration established.

Originality/value

This is the first paper that explores the multiple voices amongst those engaged in the process of transformation towards gender equality at contemporary managerial universities. It shows that an open discussion of complementary and conflicting ways in which the representatives can construct their selves, their strategies and their actions is required in order to start “managing the management” anew – from a higher level than the feminist grassroots activists in the 1980s and 1990s.
Reflections on being a feminist academic/academic feminism in South Africa
Authors: Gouws Amanda
Published: August 2012

Purpose

The article engages the “double identity” of being a feminist activist and academic in a tertiary institution in a post‐colonial society. The aim is to grapple with the personal experiences of a “change agent” in a tertiary education sector that is going through political transformation. The author also reflects on the impact of neo‐liberal capitalism on tertiary institutions, and its depoliticising effect on feminist activism. It engages the establishment of gender studies programs.

Design/methodology/approach

The article is a viewpoint and uses the personal reflections of a feminist scholar at a South African university to illustrate issues of personal location at a university as a site of struggle, but also location in the global South. It elaborates on the difficulty of changing male dominated institutional cultures and ways in which feminist activism is subverted.

Findings

The article shows how the experiences of being a change agent make “the personal political” and this contributes to taking a psychological toll. It exposes the intransigence toward change in hierarchical male dominated institutional cultures and recommends feminist solidarity across tertiary institutions, as well as using institutional opportunities for feminist purposes as counter measures to co‐option.

Originality/value

The value of the article is located in the reflection of a feminist scholar on her own experiences in the context of a South African university but may open a space for feminist scholars in tertiary institutions globally to relate to these experiences.
Black feminism in the academy
Authors: Arya Rina
Published: August 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to be a critical reflection on the author's position as a Black female academic in the academy, and comes from a motivation to raise Black consciousness about the importance of Black feminist scholarship.

Design/methodology/approach

The author identifies the unique position of Black feminism, which has had to define itself apart from second‐wave feminism of the 1970s, which marginalised non‐White women and the Civil Rights movement, which marginalised women. The oppression faced by Black feminists is apparent in the shifting platforms of identity that Black feminists occupy in the academy. Another obstacle is the restricted and incomplete picture of feminism in the academy, which sidelines Black feminist writing. One of the ways to raise awareness is to focus on the corpus of Black writing and to re‐position it within academic core curricula, rather than relegating it to specialised courses.

Findings

It is found that Black feminism is marginalised in the academy in scholarship and representation. It is also found that students are more receptive to ideas about feminism when approaching the subject indirectly.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation of the study is an absence of theoretical literature from a UK context.

Social implications

The paper highlights the marginalisation of Black feminism in the academy.

Originality/value

The subjects of “feminism in academia” and the representation of “Black and minority ethnics in the Academy” have been explored in scholarship. However the combination of these terms, namely the role of the Black feminist in the academy, is a comparatively unexplored subject. Hence, the originality of this paper.
When hedging fails: what every CEO should know about speculation
Authors: Tokic Damir
Published: August 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the theory of speculation to corporate executives. It is important that corporate hedgers understand how bubbles develop to effectively adjust their corporate hedging strategies. Since excess speculation is always the primary cause of all bubbles, it is mandatory that corporate executives understand the basics of speculation theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses the case of Southwest Airlines to illustrate how corporate hedging programs can fail in an environment of asset price bubbles. Further, it reviews key academic theoretical articles on speculation, with emphasis on applied concepts.

Findings

Corporate hedgers must recognize inflating bubbles and acknowledge the positive feedback trading. Corporate hedgers must refrain from becoming the positive feedback traders themselves. Corporate hedgers can hedge the speculative bubbles by having insurance in form of options against potential bubbles at all times.

Originality/value

The paper can be a valuable reference source for corporate managers with diverse educational and business backgrounds because it widely disseminates the theory that only the closed circle of the trading community and narrowly specialized researches practice and fully understand.
A thematic analysis of a leadership speaker series
Authors: Hartman Nathan S. , Conklin Thomas
Published: August 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the advice executives gave aspiring student leaders in one‐hour talks. The author was interested in understanding how well the aspiring student leaders interpreted the messages given by the executives.

Design/methodology/approach

Thematic analysis was used to identify common themes across speakers. The themes were given to students in questionnaire format to determine if the students heard the same message.

Findings

The themes identified within and across speakers suggested that their recommendations for leader development were relatively consistent. Themes included people orientation, relationships, communication skill, full commitment, accepting difficult challenges, ethics, and continued education. Participants were able to identify the presence of themes and did not project their individual differences onto the message when interpreting the speakers’ insights.

Research limitations/implications

The findings suggested the researcher‐identified themes were also generally identified by the students. Future research should seek to determine which themes students dedicate the most effort towards accomplishing.

Practical implications

The themes provide a unique vantage point of perceptions by executives of what led to their effective leadership. Identification of these behaviors and experiences illuminated ways that aspiring leaders could learn and develop their leadership capability.

Originality/value

The research applied qualitative and quantitative data creation, analysis, and interpretation thereby exhibiting an inductive and mixed methods research approach. Mixed method research may lead to more valid results and helps understand the leadership development process. The research indicates that leadership relationships are fundamentally rooted in communication and that language is the dominant mode of interaction between leaders and staff.
Testing multidimensional models of person‐group fit
Authors: Young Seong Jee , Kristof‐Brown Amy L.
Published: August 2012

Purpose

This study seeks to investigate the multidimensionality person‐group (PG) fit. It first aims to examine values‐based, personality‐based, and KSA‐based fit as distinct PG fit dimensions. It then also aims to examine fit as an aggregate construct (each dimension combines to form a latent PG fit construct), and as a superordinate construct (an overarching assessment of compatibility drives the individual fit dimensions). It also aims to propose that the distinct dimensions or the overall perception predict commitment to team, employee voice, and knowledge sharing, resulting in a final outcome of employee task performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using longitudinal survey methodology from three different sources (793 employees, their supervisors and the Human Resources department) in a manufacturing firm in Korea. The various models were evaluated using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The distinct dimensions model, in which values‐based fit predicted commitment to the team, personality‐based fit predicted voice behaviors, and KSA‐based fit predicted knowledge sharing, was mostly supported. Each of these intermediary factors predicted supervisors' ratings of individual task performance. Although each dimension had unique impact on the outcomes, results suggested that a superordinate PG construct might be driving the more specific fit assessments. The aggregate model was not supported.

Originality/value

This study is the first to show how different dimensions of PG fit may differentially influence affect and behavior, to predict task performance. It also shows the first evidence for PG fit as a superordinate multidimensional construct. Results provide a basis for new knowledge regarding the multi‐faceted relationship between fit perceptions and outcomes.
Work orientations in the job demands‐resources model
Authors: Demerouti Evangelia , Bakker Arnold B. , Fried Yitzhak
Published: August 2012

Purpose

This study aims to examine the role of instrumental vs intrinsic work orientations in the job demands‐resources (JD‐R) model.

Design/methodology

Using a sample of 123 employees, the authors investigated longitudinally whether an instrumental work orientation moderates the motivational process, and mediates the health impairment process in the JD‐R model.

Findings

Regression analyses revealed that an increase in job resources over time was particularly beneficial for experienced flow at Time 2 among employees holding an instrumental (vs intrinsic) work orientation. In addition, structural equation modeling analyses showed that work pressure was reciprocal with need for recovery, which was reciprocal with instrumental work orientation.

Research limitations/implications

Findings suggest that work orientation should be integrated in research linking work characteristics with motivational and health impairment processes.

Practical implications

Organizations should avoid placing overly high demands on their employees as these not only impair employees' health, but also change their orientation towards work.

Social implications

Organizations can contribute to the wellbeing of individuals and society by designing jobs that provide affordable demands and sufficient resources.

Originality/value

The present study successfully integrated work orientations in the JD‐R model.
Educational diversity and group effectiveness: a social network perspective
Authors: Curşeu Petru L. , Raab Jörg , Han Jing , Loenen Aukje
Published: August 2012

Purpose

This paper sets out to test the mediating role of internal network density and external network range in the relationship between educational diversity (i.e. separation and variety) and group effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors surveyed 267 employees in 54 organizational groups.

Findings

The study's results show that educational separation has a U‐shaped relationship with the advice network density. Moreover, educational variety moderates the relation of educational separation with external network range in such a way that for groups with high educational variety, the relationship between educational separation and external network range is U‐shaped, while for groups with low educational variety the relationship has an inverted U shape. The results also show that internal network density and external network range mediate the relationship between educational diversity and group effectiveness.

Research limitations/implications

The paper extends the literature on group diversity by simultaneously exploring two forms of educational diversity (separation and variety) as they relate to group network density and external network range. The study is cross‐sectional, restricting causal inferences and future research should further explore the way in which the alignment of educational variety and separation relates to social network structure and group effectiveness.

Practical implications

Understanding the association between educational diversity and group social network structure and the way they relate to group effectiveness enables managers to improve group effectiveness.

Originality/value

The paper is one of the first to explore the curvilinear association between educational diversity and social network structure.

Social implications

By exploring the relation between diversity and social network structures, these results increase understanding of how to address diversity issues at the societal level.