bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of a Safety Climate Measure for Occupational Vehicle Drivers and Implications for Safer Workplaces
Authors: Wills Andrew R. , Biggs Herbert C. , Watson Barry
Published: August 2016

Safety climate, defined as workers' shared perceptions about the importance of safety to their organisation, has received increasing attention as a construct that is useful for benchmarking organisational safety and as a way of measuring the socio-organisational antecedents of safety performance. Few studies have utilised pre-existing safety climate measures and as a result of this, there is limited information about the generalisability of the construct and its underlying dimensions across organisations and industries. This is an important step towards establishing safety climate as a generic organisational construct which can be reliably measured. In those few cases where studies have used existing measures, results indicate inconsistencies in the underlying factor structures. Accordingly, using a sample of 321 employees from three separate organisations and industries, this study examined the factor structure of a modified version of an existing measure (the Safety Climate Questionnaire [SCQ]). Principal components factor analysis revealed that the original factor structure was upheld by the current sample (with the exception of two factors collapsing into one). This provides support for the generic nature of safety climate as it is operationalised by the SCQ. Additional items were included and emerged as two dimensions, providing support for the generalisability of these new factors across the organisations and industries employed. The results are of theoretical and practical significance as they provide evidence for the generic structure of the construct across organisations and industries, and exemplify how a measure of safety climate could be usefully employed in disability management planning and early intervention strategies.
Criterion Problems in Rehabilitation Outcome Research: A Comment on Allison and Stephens (2004)
Authors: Murphy Gregory C.
Published: August 2016

The recent article by Allison and Stephens, ‘The assessment of pain beliefs and their role in predicting recovery from repetitive strain injury’, addressed an important issue for both rehabilitation counsellor practitioners as well as for rehabilitation researchers — the role of people's beliefs in influencing their behaviours and achievements while living with chronic conditions or recovering from traumatic injuries (Radnitz, 2000). Using chronic pain patients as study participants, the authors assessed pain beliefs and then correlated belief scores with three indices of ‘recovery’ (function improvement, pain decrease and total improvement). While the study as reported had a number of strengths, there were two aspects of the published article which concerned me as an academic who is heavily involved in teaching and conducting research in the area of understanding factors that influence rehabilitation ‘recovery’. One of my concerns has to do with the design of the study, and my other concern pertains to the conclusions drawn by the authors following the analysis of the (minimal) relationships between the study's key pain and functioning constructs. Both of these concerns are elaborated upon in the following paragraphs.

My concern with the design of the study is only important because of the title of the paper and the conclusions that the low obtained correlations seemingly precipitated. The title of Allison and Stephens' paper contains the phrase ‘…predicting recovery …’. Yet the criterion measures used in the study are open to extreme criticism as adequate measures of ‘recovery’. Identifying appropriate criteria in applied research is rarely easy (Ronan & Prien, 1966; Smith, 1976) but ignoring traditional observable measures of rehabilitation progress (such as enhanced self management and increased assumption of normal role responsibilities) means that rehabilitation counsellors reading the article can learn little about the influence of pain beliefs on the reeular behaviours of their clients.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Combat and the Vietnam Veteran
Authors: Redwood Stephen , Alpass Fiona
Published: August 2016

The impact of stress on both the psychological and physical wellbeing of the individual has been a primary topic in the psychological literature over the past decade. Alongside the weight of research on the effects of life stressors, the study of traumatic stress and its physical and psychological sequelae has overwhelmingly captivated researchers across the full range of the social science disciplines. Recent events have focused attention on the plight of combat veterans once again. The current review was undertaken in order to provide an overview of the recent extensive research activity on PTSD in war and combat veterans and focuses predominantly on veterans from the Vietnam War. Epidemiological data is presented on the prevalence of traumatic stress and the incidence of PTSD. Evidence for the high rates of co-morbidity between PTSD and other major clinical disorders is reviewed and the contribution of a number of peri-traumatic variables, pre-trauma and post-trauma factors to the development of PTSD is assessed. A review of the cognitive theories of PTSD suggests a number of common elements and theoretical similarities.
Trauma, Social Support, and Mental Health Outcomes in a Community Sample of New Zealand Military Veterans
Authors: Redwood Stephen , Alpass Fiona , Long Nigel , Pachana Nancy , Blakey Judy
Published: August 2016

The relationship between social support, mental health, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology was investigated in a sample of 229 former New Zealand military personnel. It was hypothesised that veterans reporting greater satisfaction with their social support networks would also report better mental health and lower levels of PTSD symptomatology, and that social support would buffer the relationship between trauma and PTSD. The number of social supports was expected to be unrelated to both PTSD and mental health. Among the subsample of combat veterans (N = 166), results from multiple regression analyses revealed that satisfaction with social support was significantly related to PTSD severity but unrelated to general mental health. The moderating model of social support on the relationship between trauma and PTSD was not supported in hierarchical regression analysis in the total sample (N = 229). Methodological limitations and other explanations for these results are discussed.
The Assessment of Pain Beliefs and Their Role in Predicting Recovery From Repetitive Strain Injury
Authors: Lucinda Allison  , Stephens Christine
Published: August 2016

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is an umbrella term for a range of conditions characterised by pain and discomfort in the soft tissues and muscle weakness. Cognitive–behavioural theory suggests that the beliefs of people in pain can influence their functioning, and beliefs scales are viewed as an important tool to assess these beliefs. Research findings support a relationship between pain beliefs and levels of pain and functioning; however, there has been little research into how belief scores are related to recovery. This study examines the relationship between scores on beliefs scales and recovery. Sixty-four people with RSI completed questionnaires to determine their pain beliefs and how their levels of pain and functioning had changed over the previous six months. Correlations provided little support for a relationship between the belief scores and recovery. This study highlights the limitations of the beliefs scales currently used in pain research and recommends the use of qualitative and longitudinal research.
Wellbeing and Competitive Employment for Adults With an Acquired Physical or Psychological Disability
Authors: Gilbert Cheryl C. , Hay Ian
Published: August 2016

The study utilised a quasi-experimental design and quota criteria sample of 38 adults with an acquired physical or psychological disability plus a history of long-term unemployment. At the end of the six months' rehabilitation intervention half of the participants of both disability groups were employed, which challenges the notion that adults with a psychological disability are less likely to achieve re-employment. It is important to note that similar numbers of males and females were employed, for women with a disability have historically been overrepresented in the unemployed numbers and underrepresented in rehabilitation programs. The study demonstrated that individuals with an acquired disability who reported higher self-confidence scores for gaining employment were 75% more likely to be later employed. There was a 29% improvement in General Health Questionnaire-28 scores at the end of the intervention. The program is reported and service delivery and wellbeing issues are discussed.
A Knitting Together of Practices: Reflections on the Phenomenology of an Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Healthcare Team
Authors: Dillon Maureen , Kippen Sandra , Ellis Julie
Published: August 2016

The phenomenon of the interdisciplinary healthcare team is relatively new, and the experience of being part of such a team presents particular issues as members knit together their practices to form a cohesive whole. This article presents the results of a study of such a team. The participants were 6 health professionals involved in a rehabilitation program in a small not-for-profit hospital in a regional area. They participated in in-depth interviews to assist an exploration of the experience of belonging to such a team. The rationale for using this team was that it was generally recognised as a professional and cohesive group of people who were particularly successful at setting and achieving team goals. Phenomenological philosophy and methodology underpinned data collection and analysis, particularly that described by Colaizzi, which requires rigorous adherence to several steps in the analysts and returning to each participant with the findings for their final validation. The data analysis revealed themes relating to relationships with each other, with the team, and with the hierarchy. The essence of these experiences emerged as a notion of shared reality within the context of the team. Thus this article concludes that the essence of a successful rehabilitation team lies in its shared reality comprising such concepts as respect, shared wisdom and effective communication.
Rehabilitation Counselling: The Quest for Professional Relevance
Authors: Biggs Herbert C.
Published: August 2016

The global community is experiencing widespread and rapid changes to labour-force participation with increasing expectations of flexible and highly adaptable skill sets. Workers can expect demands to acquire new, and augment existing, competencies as an integral part of the labour contract. Continuing education, professional development, augmentation of competencies and lifelong learning are the occupational mantras of the millennium. If these are the expectations of those already in the workforce, what then do support professionals expect for their clients, such as rehabilitation counsellors who have considerable skills in facilitating the re-entry of clients to the work-force? This paper examines several questions of continuing skilling and provides a set of recommendations with relevance to contemporary professional practice.
The Nature and Extent of Social Anxiety and Avoidance in Patients with Chronic Pain
Authors: Seebeck Renée F. , Johnson Malcolm H. , Flett Ross A.
Published: August 2016

The present study explored the nature and extent of social anxiety and avoidance, anxiety sensitivity, and pain-related anxiety and avoidance in 46 clinic-referred chronic pain patients, compared with a community-based group reporting pain (n = 66) and healthy controls (n = 57). The chronic pain patients consistently reported higher levels of social distress, social avoidance, fear of negative evaluation, anxiety sensitivity, and pain-related anxiety and avoidance as compared with controls. Group differences in social distress, social avoidance, fear of negative evaluation, pain-related cognitive anxiety, and fear of cognitive and emotional dyscontrol, remained stable when pain severity was controlled for. Anxiety sensitivity was strongly related to both social and pain-related fears. The source of these social fears is examined in relation to the elevated pain-related fear and anxiety sensitivity also exhibited by chronic pain patients, and implications for treatment and rehabilitation are discussed.
Assessment of Core Competency Status and Work Environment of Residential Mental Health Support Workers
Authors: Morrison Niall , Ronan Kevin
Published: August 2016

The present study explored the current competency status of New Zealand residential mental health support workers (n = 121). Competency was assessed through the domains of skills, attitudes and perception of the work environment. Consistent with a recovery model, the National Mental Health Workforce Development Coordinating Committee (1999) put forward 10 basic core competencies that they recommended that all mental health workers should be able to demonstrate in their work practice. Skills and attitudes self-report measures were developed to assess participant performance on these competencies. In addition, a standard measure, the Ward Atmosphere Scale (Moos, 1996), was utilised to evaluate the perceived atmosphere of the participants' work environment. The aggregated results of this study appeared to show that participants were generally competent in a number of areas of work practice. However, deficiencies in critical areas of client support were identified on closer examination of the data. While superior education and training did appear to influence performance on certain competencies, some deficiencies were nevertheless reported by the more highly educated and trained participants. In addition, participants generally characterised their work settings in a negative manner such that it appears that many settings are not adhering to the philosophies of rehabilitation and recovery. Despite the identification of specific deficiencies, many participants did demonstrate a number of competencies combined with an encouraging commitment to professional growth.
Disability Management: A System of Response or a Response to a System?
Authors: McAnaney Donal , Webster Bev , Lohan Maria , Wynne Richard
Published: August 2016

Adebate is emerging regarding the best way to ensure the timely and efficient return to work (RTW) of workers who have become long term absent (LTA) for health reasons. Elements of this debate center on the roles of the individual, the rehabilitation agent, the employing organisation and the rehabilitation and reintegration system. Recent years have seen the emergence of new approaches to managing LTA, mostly focusing on disability management and on amendments to welfare and rehabilitation systems. This paper discusses these trends in the light of a 6-year research programme carried out in Ireland, involving both national and transnational studies which have sought to identify the key elements of successful LTA policies and practices. It also reviews recent international work in the area in order to assess the relative importance of systemic, organisational and individual factors in ensuring timely and effective LTA policies and practices.
Impact of Physical Disability on Pursuit of Gardening Activities in Mid-Aged Women
Authors: Pachana Nancy A. , Kidd Judith L. , Alpass Fiona M.
Published: August 2016

Research on horticultural therapy approaches suggest that its positive impact on clients may extend beyond direct rehabilitation or vocational gains to more generally improved well-being. Persons in rehabilitation programs may relate to gardening as a previously enjoyed past time, or as a new activity for either leisure or employment purposes. While gardening is a popular leisure activity in many countries, few studies have looked at what specific gardening activities community-based populations pursue. As part of a larger mail-out survey looking at gardening interests of mid-aged women, a sub-sample of physically disabled women was compared to healthy age-matched women on gardening activities and interests. Physical and psychological functioning and well-being were also sampled. Both groups completed the SF-36 Health Survey for Australia/New Zealand, the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, and a gardening questionnaire tapping gardening activities and hours per month on these activities, as well as the reasons for pursuing gardening. Group differences emerged on physical and psychological functioning variables, but for virtually all gardening variables, group differences were minimal. Overall findings suggest that for this sample of mid-aged women, the presence of physical disability or limitation did not adversely affect their access to and enjoyment of gardening activities.
Qualitative Methods in Rehabilitation Research and their Relevance to Rehabilitation Counselling Practice
Authors: Crisp Ross
Published: August 2016

This paper discusses the potential limitations, and barriers to acceptance, of qualitative research methodologies. Qualitative research has been dismissed for consisting of small unrepresentative samples that limit the generalisability of findings, for lacking reliability and validity, for providing analyses that mask the individual differences that it purports to highlight, and for being too subjective. It was argued that these criticisms have to be considered against a different set of criteria to those applied to quantitative research. Moreover, the rationale behind qualitative research can provide rehabilitation counsellors with a better understanding of living with disability. This paper seeks to encourage rehabilitation counsellors to (a) gain insight into the different perspectives of persons with disabilities; (b) develop their clinical or knowledge base; and (c) be self-reflexive and critically self-examine their interaction with clients.
Measuring Quality of Life
Authors: Taylor William J. , McPherson Kathryn M.
Published: August 2016

Demonstrating the effectiveness of health care interventions requires valid measurement of the impact, or outcome of those interventions. It is increasingly suggested that Quality of Life (QoL) is the ‘gold standard’ outcome internationally (Bowling 1995) and in Australasia (Mordue & Parkin, 1997). Although a number of QoL measures are now available, questions remain about the definition of the concept itself and the psychometric properties of those measures. A consequence of major concern is that health services research or clinical studies of healthcare interventions using inadequately defined outcomes or invalid measures will in turn produce results that lack validity. This paper explores a number of such issues concerning the concept of QoL and the way it is measured.
Rehabilitation Counselling with Clients from Non-English Speaking Countries
Authors: Van Der Veen Roger
Published: August 2016

People born in non-English Speaking Countries (NESCs) and resident in Australia make up 14.2% of the Australian population and a sizeable proportion of the current immigration program — the humanitarian and non-humanitarian components. This article presents some background about the numbers of overseas born people resident in Australia especially those from NESCs, a brief history of the Australian immigration program, and the present policy of multiculturalism in the context of settlement. Some of these overseas born people have already, or are likely to, participate in rehabilitation counselling, and it is argued that rehabilitation counselling processes will be enhanced with a knowledge of such clients' culture as well as the practical application of general cross-cultural casework skills.
Physician Service Use by Older Adults in New Zealand
Authors: Millar Michelle A. , Flett Ross A. , Kazantzis Nikolaos , Long Nigel R. , MacDonald Carol
Published: August 2016

The paper presents data on the use of physician services by 354 older adults in New Zealand. Utilization of physician services and predisposing factors were ascertained by structured interview in a cross-sectional sample of men (n = 155) and women (n = 199) aged 60 years or over. Interview responses were used to test the hypothesis that a combination of predisposing, enabling, and need characteristics are better predictors of physician service use, than need characteristics alone. Hierarchical regression results predicting the use of medical services support our hypothesis, underscoring the importance of need and enabling characteristics for service use. Research applying the behavioral model to the use of services among older adults could be enriched by the inclusion of enabling and predisposing characteristics.
Chronic Pain-related Disability: Current Scientific Rationale and Recommendations for Practice
Authors: Moseley Lorimer
Published: August 2016

The present paper concerns the prevention and management of disability due to chronic pain. The problem of disabling chronic pain is presented and the impact on the community is highlighted. The scientific rationale for current approaches to management is discussed and the available empirical evidence reviewed. In particular, the present paper advocates application of the biopsychosocial model for the prevention and management of chronic pain-related disability. As such, the components of the biopsychosocial model are reviewed and recommendations for rehabilitation counselling practice are presented.
An Amendment to the Rehabilitation Skills Inventory
Authors: Biggs Herbert C.
Published: August 2016

In this investigation of rehabilitation professionals in Australasia, where the profession of rehabilitation counselling might be described as emerging, the appropriateness of the Rehabilitation Skills Inventory for use in Australasian settings was evaluated. This resulted in an amendment to the original instrument and the development of the RSI (Amended) instrument. The instrument validation is discussed and the four component solution described.
What is this thing called rehabilitation? One Practitioner's View
Authors: McKenzie Don
Published: August 2016

This paper explores the thorny question, what is this thing called rehabilitation? The concept is examined with a view to refining some of the values lying behind the rehabilitation process. A practitioner's viewpoint is taken and melded with a consumer bias to present two relatively simple working definitions of rehabilitation, and some dilemmas that challenge practitioners in an evidence-based climate. By asking when should rehabilitation services be used and what are rehabilitationists really about, we discover an intensely human process that calls for personal qualities and scholarship that are exemplary in the eyes of society. The paper concludes with an assessment of rehabilitation services in New Zealand.
Cognitive Rehabilitation with Older Adults
Authors: Pachana Nancy A. , Marcopulos Bernice A. , Leatham Janet
Published: August 2016

The proportion of older adults seeking rehabilitation services are certain to rise as the population ages. Cognitive rehabilitation techniques can be successfully adapted and used with older adults with a range of clinical diagnoses. An understanding of cognitive changes which could be expected as a result of “normal” (non-disease-related) aging is essential for both assessment and treatment planning for this group. Age-related changes in attention, memory and executive functioning are briefly noted. Common cognitive sequelae of head-injury, depression and dementia are discussed, and useful assessment and rehabilitation strategies described. Case illustrations are used to illustrate major points.
Rehabilitation Counselling Distance Education on the Internet: Avoiding the Black Spots on the Information Highway
Authors: Bentley Sandra
Published: August 2016

This article describes the development of the current part-time distance education Post graduate and Masters in Rehabilitation Counselling course offered by the School of Community Health, University of Sydney Cumberland Campus, into an online/multimedia instructional medium.. A literature review explored factors involved in the educational technology design process utilising an ACTIONS framework proposed by Bates (1995). The findings confirm that it is appropriate to utilise selected mediums to improve access and maintain teaching standards. However, the review highlights the need to offer a combination of presentation mediums, adequate technical support, and staff development/training. Formative evaluation must be part of the design process, supported by a responsive organisational infrastructure. Evaluation of the first unit of study to be offered online in 2000, Counselling, will form the basis for a follow-up article.
Assessment of Everyday Memory in Rehabilitation Settings: A Review of the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test
Authors: McGuire Brian E.
Published: August 2016

The Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT) is reviewed and its utility in rehabilitation settings is explored. The RBMT purports to be “ecologically valid” — a test of everyday memory. It is concluded that the RBMT is quick and easy to administer, is available to a range of health professionals, and has high face validity as a measure of everyday memory performance. However, the normative sample obtained was relatively small, limited age-norms were provided, it did not assess incremental learning and there was a tendency to obtain a ceiling effect in non-clinical groups. Additional normative data have been reported by others. The RBMT is most likely to be useful in acute rehabilitation or with more impaired clinical groups and is recommended as a useful tool for the assessment of memory impairment.
Preparing a Journal Manuscript: A Guide for Rehabilitation Counsellor Practitioners
Authors: Coelho Richard J. , Forge Jan La
Published: August 2016

Encouraging rehabilitation counselling practitioners to enter the arena of journal-writing is an ongoing concern of the profession. This article intends to help authors, especially practitioners who have not submitted previously, organise research materials for writing articles. A model of organising standard components of a professional journal article is presented and discussed. The guidelines presented also provide a summary of the manuscript format and editorial review process. Suggestions presented provide a basis for assisting the rehabilitation counsellor practitioner who is considering writing a journal article.
Organisational Restructuring: Considerations for Workplace Rehabilitation Professionals
Authors: Kearns Dan , McCarthy Paul , Sheehan Michael
Published: August 2016

Organisational restructuring is a pervasive strategy employed by organisations in Australia in response to changes in market competition and/or policy directives. Such restructuring often involves staff redundancies and increased demands on the remaining employees. This paper identifies important issues for workplace rehabilitation programs in response to this phenomenon of organisational restructuring. The paper notes the impact of organisational restructuring on clients in workplace rehabilitation programs and the types of issues rehabilitation professionals are likely to face at this time. A particular focus is the aspect of managerial behaviour during the process of change and the paper reports from a range of studies on employee well-being, managerial bullying and coercion in the context of organisational restructuring. Considerations for the rehabilitation professional include the need to understand communication issues, identify those at risk, and maintain the natural supports during the change program. Suggestions are given for convenors of workplace rehabilitation programs to actively collaborate with the human resource function of the organisation and disability management is outlined as a useful example of such strategies.
Long Term Changes in Family Needs After Brain Injury: A Preliminary Review
Authors: Stebbins Peter
Published: August 2016

When a family member acquires a brain injury the family as a whole is likely to experience severe emotional stress and strain in coping with and adjusting to the injured family member. Longitudinal studies of family adjustment have shown that families find it increasingly difficult to cope with the brain injured family member as the time (years) since injury increases. The increasing difficulty family members experience in coping with their brain injured relative led several researchers to investigate the needs of family members. Research investigating family needs after brain injury is limited to the first couple of years post trauma despite the finding that stress and burden continue to increase as the years progress. This paper reviews family needs research over the last three decades and provides a discussion of family needs and surrounding issues relevant to rehabilitation professionals.
Cognitive-behavioural Therapies: Research and Applications in Counselling People with Physical Disabilities
Authors: Mpofu Elias , Thomas Kenneth R. , Chan Fong
Published: August 2016

The main principles and practices of cognitive-behavioural therapies are briefly outlined and discussed in terms of their relevance to counselling individuals with physical disabilities. The cognitive-behavioural therapies of Beck, Ellis, and Nezu to counselling persons with physical disabilities are specifically presented. A case study involving the application of cognitive-behavioural therapies to counselling a person with severe facial and hand burn injuries is also presented. The view is advanced that although cognitive-behavioural therapies have considerable potential in counselling of persons with physical disabilities, lack of conceptual clarity of some central constructs in cognitive-behavioral therapy is a limitation to practice in rehabilitation settings. The paucity of controlled research studies in this area of study is noted, and suggestions are offered for further research.
Neuropsychosocial Functioning of Children with Hydrocephalus
Authors: Marsh Nigel V. , Webb James W.
Published: August 2016

Recent studies on the rehabilitation of children with hydrocephalus have demonstrated the need for those planning such rehabilitation programmes to have a clear understanding of the neuropsychological and psychosocial aspects of this disorder. In an attempt to provide such information, the neuropsychological and psychosocial functioning of a group of 17 children with hydrocephalus between the ages of eight and fourteen years old was investigated. Performance by the sample with hydrocephalus was compared to that of a ‘normal’ control sample. Participants with hydrocephalus and control participants were matched on the variables of sex, age, years of education, and socio-economic status. Relative to control participants, the participants with hydrocephalus were impaired on measures of intellectual, attention, verbal and visual memory, and visuo-spatial abilities. Language alone was relatively preserved. The children with hydrocephalus also exhibited poorer self-esteem, fewer adaptive competencies, and more problem behaviours than the ‘normal’ controls. For the children with hydrocephalus, the relationship between their impaired intellectual abilities and their psychosocial functioning was investigated.
INFLATION AND REAL WAGE DISPERSION: A MODEL OF FRICTIONAL MARKETS
Authors: Zhang Min , Huangfu Stella
Published: August 2016

Current Population Survey (CPS) data over the period from 1994 to 2008 show that inflation has a positive effect on the residual wage dispersion. To explain this phenomenon, we introduce uncoordinated job searches into a general equilibrium monetary search framework. Our model shows that the uncoordinated job searches by unemployed workers give rise to an equilibrium, where a firm is matched with zero, one, or multiple job applicants. The ex post difference in matching probabilities generates a two-point wage dispersion among identical workers, when the Mortensen rule is implemented in the wage-determination process. In our model, inflation positively influences the wage dispersion directly through its impact on firm's real profit and indirectly through the effect of inflation that spills over from the goods market to the labor market. With reasonable parameter values, the calibrated model can account for most of the observed responses of residual wage dispersion to inflation.
The significance of cell survival parameters for the use of equivalent uniform dose in tumour dose evaluation
Authors: Kilby W.
Published: August 2016

Equivalent Uniform Dose (EUD) has been proposed as a means of comparing treatment plans which include large PTV dose heterogeneity. Moreover, it has been suggested that EUD is insensitive to the underlying cell survival model parameters used in its calculation, and that arbitrary values might be used. This dependence of EUD on radiobiological parameters has been studied using different cell survival models (exponential and linear quadratic) and a range of artificially generated and clinical (lung and prostate) treatment plans. EUD was found to be strongly dependent on the variable SF2, but not on α/β, or number of fractions. When clinical treatment plans were ranked in order of EUD, a dependence of rank order on SF2 was observed, suggesting that arbitrary SF2 values are not appropriate for treatment plan evaluation. These results suggest that tumour specific SF2 values should be used for EUD calculation, and this is discussed.
Is it only a matter of time until the Conventional Treatment Simulator becomes obsolete? Critical evaluation of the CT-simulator
Authors: Bichan K. A.
Published: August 2016

The benefits of employing computed tomography (CT) into the planning process of radiotherapy has been well established over the last 20 years. The cross sectional images provide invaluable information that enable clinicians to plan patients treatment with confidence. More recently there has been the development of the CT-simulator (CT-sim), however its place in the clinical setting has still to be established.

One of the most anticipated questions is “will the CT-simulator replace the present conventional treatment simulator as a tool for simulation?” There appear to be tremendous reasons why it should, but there are also many issues that need to be addressed.

This discussions aims to critically assess the practical and technical aspects of the new technology, by means of reviewing published literature. The aim is to decipher whether its introduction into the planning process is realistic and appropriate for all radiotherapy patients, and whether it has the possibility to replace the treatment simulator.

Issues concerned with image production, simulation (virtual), planning, cost, quality assurance (QA) and patient criteria (i.e. radical and palliative patients) have been reviewed. The Study concludes that the CT-sim has the realistic possibility to dramatically improve the treatment intent of all radiotherapy patients. Although there are situations where the treatment simulator appears to supersede the CT-sim, there still appears to be a place for it within the planning process.
Lay influence on service provision: impact of a Royal College Patient Liaison Group on radiotherapy departments
Authors: Rees G.
Published: August 2016

The Clinical Oncology Patient Liaison Group (COPLG) was established by the Faculty of Clinical Oncology of The Royal College of Radiologists in 1997. One of the early issues to be addressed by the COPLG was the “patient-friendliness” of radiotherapy departments in the United Kingdom. A questionnaire relating to several aspects of patient care was formulated substantially by the lay members of the Group and circulated to all departments. There was a 63% response rate. The results demonstrated considerable variation in departmental practice and they were used as the basis for writing a booklet entitled “Making your Radiotherapy Service more patient-friendly”, which was circulated to all departments. This was intended to give practical suggestions on improving services, recommending only what had been shown to be feasible. A year later another questionnaire was circulated, designed to measure the effect of the booklet. There was a 53% response rate. In the great majority of responding departments the booklet had influenced staff and had led to changes in practice and improved care. The service areas most influenced were the provision of facilities for waiting patients, the provision of information about treatment, the maintenance of privacy and dignity and surveying the views of patients.
Careers and Organisations: A Figure–Ground Problem
Authors: Inkson Kerr
Published: August 2016

This paper argues that people's careers have great personal significance for them and energise much organisational activity, but that in the context of organisations and management they often appear irrelevant. Contrasting career metaphors are used to show how careers develop through tensions between organisational and social structure, and individual agency. The findings of a New Zealand research study show how new flexibilities and ambiguities in economic and organisation structures result in people developing careers which, like the Australasian “Big O.E.” institution, are mobile, improvisational, and learning-based. A reflexive model is used to show how careers can create organisations as well as vice versa. The implications of new career theories for workers, managers and management educators are indicated. Greater appreciation of career dynamics results in the subversion of some traditional management ideas and the development of new models of self- and organisational management.
Public Sector Managers and Ethical Dilemmas
Authors: Ehrich Lisa Catherine , Cranston Neil , Kimber Megan
Published: August 2016

Controversies surrounding the behaviour of ministers and high profile leaders seem to be commonplace in public life. That there has been a resurgence of interest in the study of ethics is not surprising. The spotlight on ethics in the public domain has been due in part to the crisis in confidence about government and a lack of public trust in organisations. Furthermore, a complex organisational environment where managers are being required to juggle a ‘multitude of competing obligations and interests’ (Cooper 1998, p. 244) has provided fertile ground for the emergence of ethical dilemmas. In this paper we put forward a tentative model that reveals important inputs that bear upon an individual, such as a public sector manager, who is confronted with an ethical dilemma. In the final part of the paper we illustrate the model's efficacy with an ethical dilemma described by a retired senior public servant to determine whether the model works in practice.
Developing an Understanding of Theory in Organisational Change
Authors: Nelson Lindsay
Published: August 2016

Management literature related to globalisation and the need for organisations to gain a competitive advantage has grown in prominence over the past two decades (Caves 1982; Porter 1985, 1990, 1991, 1998; Barney 1995; Peteraf 1993; Barner 1996; Duncan, Ginter & Swayne 1998; Thomas, Pollock & Gorman 1998; Zahra 1998; Zahra & O'Neil, 1998; Gupta & Govindarajan 2001). Concomitant with globalisation and competitive advantage are issues related to achieving successful organisational change, since it logically holds that any activity to increase an organisation's effectiveness necessarily involves some sort of change. Much of the research attention in the past has focussed on strategies for implementing change, including overcoming resistance, rather than developing theories which lead to a greater understanding of the processes of change. Early research (Coch & French 1948; Ginzberg & Reilly 1957; Lewin 1951) reflect the historical concentration on how best to implement change; this tradition is more recently exemplified by Carnall (1999) who examines practical techniques for achieving change in organisations. However, literature relating to the theory of change remains fragmented and inconclusive.
Growth Models in the New Zealand Wine Industry: Some Case Study Evidence
Authors: Beverland Mike , Lockshin Lawrence S
Published: August 2016

One of the most dominant models for explaining organisational growth is that of organisational lifecycles. Drawing parallels with biology, life cycle theorists argue firms are born, grow, mature and decline. Despite a proliferation of models of organisational lifecycle, there is little empirical support for their general validity. The present study builds a four-stage model of organisational life cycle based on case study research in the New Zealand wine industry. Far from being driven by internal pressures, these cycles seem to be related to the demands of the global wine market, as well as the strategy chosen by each firm.
Is The Sense We Take Equal To The Sense We Make? A Discussion on Sensemaking and Power in Organisations
Authors: Gordon Raymond D
Published: August 2016

Sensemaking is recognised as one of the key contemporary approaches to organisation studies. It not only responds to current debates in the field, but also appears to offer a way out of the unproductive and misguided paradigm wars of recent times. The sensemaking literature, however, addresses power implicitly. Sensemaking and the power-knowledge nexus is discussed, giving rise to an argument that suggests the sense people make in organizations may not be entirely their own. Rather, the sense people make may be largely constituted for them in the sense criteria (historical antecedents - constituted knowledge and codes of order) and the political context of the setting in and of, which they are making sense. Implications for managers and future research in regard to how people come to make the sense that they do are contemplated.
Training Performance Raters Through Error-based Experiential Learning
Authors: Debowski Shelda
Published: August 2016

Human resource managers need to understand issues relating to rater error. There are well-established ways to introduce these concepts to those training in the field. However, they require a substantial period of training to be successful. Their use in a tertiary setting can be severely constrained by time limitations. An alternative approach to these traditional training styles is that of error-based experiential learning. This training strategy immerses students in erroneous experiences that are then explored and used as a learning platform to build models of good practice. The training process used to structure the exercise is described in detail, illustrating the various errors committed by the trainees. Student feedback from the exercise and some likely risks attached to the activity are also discussed.
Idealism, Gender and Business Decisions
Authors: Tsahuridu Eva E. , Walker Elizabeth
Published: August 2016

The present study examined women and men's ethical ideologies, as measured by a shorter version of Forsyth's (1980) Ethics Position Questionnaire and individual beliefs about ethical behaviour in organisations using Froelich and Kottke's (1991) instrument. Froelich and Kottke's questions suggest actions that are inconsistent with societal moral values. The sample (N=662) consisted of tertiary students in two Western Australian universities. The data revealed that women are less likely to undertake ethically questionable activities to support and / or protect the organisation. Women are also found to have a more idealistic orientation than men, which partially explains the previous findings. In this study, women are less likely to emphasise organisational interests over societal ethical values.
Strategies in Exporting Firms: A Study of Australian Small to Medium Enterprises Exporting to Asia
Authors: Dowling Peter J , Liesch Peter W , Flint Jaqueline A , As-Saber Sharif N , Chan Kwong , Innes Peter A
Published: August 2016

The focus of the present paper is to examine the strategy use in Australian small and medium enterprises exporting to Asia. A selection of strategic issues is examined in order to identify their relative importance to a firm's exporting activities. No attempt is made to establish a causal linkage between strategy and export performance. Rather, the paper attempts to appraise the level of importance of various strategic factors that are often dealt with by an exporting firm. The study was conducted with an expectation of assisting future research endeavours into the relevance of strategies to export-performance. A set of impediments and the extent of their negativity on the exporting activities have also been considered, the understanding of which may help a firm in achieving appropriate strategic direction. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in an attempt to capture the intricacies and challenges of using strategies in a cross-cultural environment.
Expanding Management: Issues and Impacts of Women in Management Research
Authors: Pringle Judith
Published: August 2016

This paper reviews women in management research, as it moves from being a specialisation, to a source on influence on the mainstream. Specifically, there has been a shift from women to gender as a conceptual framework, which has led to explorations of identity issues in the workplace. There is a growing acceptance of organisations as manifestations of masculinity that is being differentiated into masculinities. The intersection of identities such as genders, race and ethnicity is beginning to be explored. The extensive work on sexual harassment is broadening to include research into the subtle but explicit presence of sexuality in organisations. Women have moved in management and are poised at the brink of senior management. At this point many women leave and studies are beginning to explore the functioning of women run organisations. Finally the potential ability of women in management research to expand the concept of management is noted.
The Two Faces of Authority: A Critique
Authors: Spillane Robert , Spillane Lynda
Published: August 2016

In the management literature, authority is generally defined as, or confused with, power (legitimate or otherwise) on the one hand, or (less frequently) attributed to subordinate concession on the other. In short, authority is thought to have two faces. The aim of the present paper is to demonstrate the confusions surrounding the use of authority and to suggest that more attention should be directed to the important differences between authority, power and legitimacy. An analysis of managerial authority is discussed that argues for the crucial relationship, recognised by the ancients, between authority and rhetoric. Authority, it is argued, is not legitimate power but a source of power and is established by effective rhetoric.
Technology Policy, Task Uncertainty and Organisational Performance
Authors: Dunk Alan S. , Roohani Saeed J.
Published: August 2016

Factors influencing organisational performance have attracted attention, both in the literature and in practice, as a means of responding to increasing market competition. One factor that may enhance performance is a technology policy and a number of organisations have implemented such policies. Technology policy proponents argue that a society's capacity for sustained technological innovation is crucial to its economic well being. The primary purpose of the present paper is to investigate the extent to which organisational performance is influenced by the use of a technology policy. Since the literature suggests that task difficulty and task variability may influence this relationship, the paper also examines these relationships. The results suggest there is an association between technology policy and performance and that this relation is influenced by task difficulty, but not task variability. The relationship between technology policy and performance seems to greater when task difficulty is high than it is when task difficulty is low.