bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Facilitation, Recording, and Pauses on Group Brainstorming
Authors: Offner Anne K. , Kramer Thomas J. , Winter Joel P.
Published: March 2007

Few brainstorming studies have attempted to provide motivation and structure to assist interacting brainstorming groups to maximize their performance. This study investigated the effect of afacilitator; use of aflip chart recorder and periodic pauses to overcome production blocking in interacting brainstorming groups. The results showed that interacting groups with a group facilitator outperformed groups without afacilitator and did about as well as nominal groups. Flip chart recording had no effect, possibly because it blocks production. Pauses had no important effect on brainstorming. The study and its results demonstrate how to bridge the gap between laboratory research and practice.
Stereotypes, Negativity Bias, and the Discussion of Unshared Information in Decision-Making Groups
Authors: Stewart Dennis D.
Published: March 2007

Previous research demonstrates that groups are more likely to discuss information shared by all group members than information known by only one group member (i.e., unshared information). It was hypothesized in this study that stereotypic expectancies and the negativity bias (i.e., the tendency to use negative information more than positive information) made groups less likely to overlook unshared information. Resultsfrom Experiment I indicate that a stereotype was activated and resulted in individuals rating a male applicant higher than a female applicantfora masculine gender-typedposition. No effectsforstereotypic expectancies were found in the group decision-making task (Experiment 2), but the negativity bias wasfound to increase the discussion of both shared and unshared information. The implicationsforfuture research are considered.
Intergroup Behavior in Organizations
Authors: Hennessy Josephine , West Michael A.
Published: March 2007

This study tests social identity theory and realistic conflict theory by examining intra- and intergroup relations in a team-based community-health care organization. The relationships between people’s patterns of identification (with their work group and with the organization) and their perceptions of intergroup competition for scarce resources are related to in-group favoritism. Questionnaire data gathered from 112 participants, who were members of 17 work groups within the organization, reveal that strong identification with the work group rather than the organization is related to high levels of in-group favoritism, thus supporting the relevance of social identity theory in an organizational setting. In-group identification did not predict between-group discrimination in resource distribution, although such discrimination was demonstrated. We suggest that in applied settings the factors influencing social behavior are more complex than in laboratory studies but that social identity theory has clear practical importance for understanding and influencing the effectiveness of team-based organizations.
A Study of Partially Distributed Work Groups
Authors: Burke Kelly , Aytes Kregg , Chidambaram Laku , Johnson Jeffrey J.
Published: March 2007

This study explores an emerging work arrangement, the partially distributed work group, in which one member is separated from the “core” group but linked via communication and computer support. Partially distributed groups may well interact differently from those that are either fully co-located or fully distributed. In light of that possibility, the study examined the effects of providing various types of media support in addition to computer support over four sessions. Results indicate that media perceptions do not differ between remote and co-located members. Perceptions of remote and co-located members improve over time. Perceptions of remote members dropped, though not significantly,—relative to those of co-located members—at the midpoint of the exercise. Our data suggest that future studies could find remote participants to be hypersensitive to media deficiencies. Although performance did not depend on type of media used, groups using richer media felt their medium was more effective.
Effects of Cognitive Ability, Task Knowledge, Information Sharing, and Conflict on Group Decision-Making Effectiveness
Authors: Devine Dennis J.
Published: March 2007

This article examines the effects of group composition (i.e., member task-related knowledge and cognitive ability) on information sharing, conflict, and group decision effectiveness in a complex low-fidelity management simulation. Controversy within the group over the strategy to employ was strongly related to interpersonal conflict between members, whereas group-level indices of cognitive ability and task knowledge were the best predictors of decision-making effectiveness. As in past studies using relatively simple choice tasks, groups exhibited biased information sampling and generally failed to identify the best course of action suggested by their collective information. The discussion highlights the need for further research using theoretical models that incorporate both composition and process factors.
Too Much of a Good Thing or the more the Merrier?
Authors: Neubert Mitchell J.
Published: March 2007

Organizations are increasingly relying on informal leaders within teams to positively affect team outcomes. Also, as the percentage of women in the workforce grows, women are likely to shoulder more of the informal leadership responsibility within teams. This study explores the relationship of team performance and team cohesion to informal leadership dispersion and the gender composition of the informal leadership core within 21 intact manufacturing teams. The results indicate that informal leadership dispersion (the number of perceived informal leaders divided by team size) is positively related to team cohesion. In addition, when females compose a larger portion of the informal leadership core, supervisors’ratings of team performance are higher.
Population Dynamics of Sleeping Sickness: A Microsimulation
Authors: Artzrouni Marc , Gouteux Jean-Paul
Published: March 2007

A microsimulation model of the spread of Gambian sleeping sickness is described. The model focuses on the randomness of epidemic trajectories brought about merely by the random nature of fly bites on humans. There is a high level of variability in the trajectories, primarily due to the small sizes of the populations involved. There is an inverse relationship between the probability of initial extinction and the size of an epidemic flare-up when the disease takes hold. When a stream of one infected fly enters the focus every 3 days, a low-level endemic can be sustained with less variability. Implications and further subjects of study are briefly discussed.
The Paradox Game
Authors: Pettegrew Loyd S.
Published: March 2007

This article explores the many facets of paradoxical communication in interpersonal encounters Several issues are explained in considerable detail. First, the nature ofpara doxical communication and how it might adequately be distinguished from other interpersonal dilemmas is discussed Second, a structured interpersonal exercise is presented which provides students with experiential learning in how to identify and deal effectively with many subtle manifestations of paradoxical communication. Third, variations on the same paradoxical theme are suggested for application to special audiences. Finally, the phenomenon of paradoxical communication is placed into a paradigm of social power and interpersonal influence
The Perception Game
Authors: Miller Larry D.
Published: March 2007

This experiential learning activity seeks to highlight the perceptual processes that invctriably transpire between two interactants. Participants attempt to match other participants with their prime concern when interacting with someone socially for the first time. Additionally, partidpants render a judgment as to whether or not others have correctly matched them with their own concern. Illustrative data from a sample game are presented and discussed.
Puzzles as Heuristic Programming Exercises
Authors: Ross John Minor
Published: March 2007

In the 1970s people were drawn into programming careers because of the fast-moving and free-spirited nature of the workplace. These individuals were creative and adventurous. Personal computers and software products from spreadsheets to flight simulators were the result of their efforts. There were also many project failures including the development of unsupportable programs. To fix those problems, university and corporate education classes now stress analysis, quality control, and structured techniques. An unfortunate side-effect to excessive structure is that students may never address problems where creativity, rather than accounting skills, is the key. Puzzles provide programming projects where analysis and structure may coexist with creative thinking.
The 1990 ISAGA/NASAGA Conference: A Brief Account
Authors: Fiddaman Thomas , Meadows Dennis L. , Van Der Waals Barbara
Published: March 2007

A joint meeting of ISAGA and NASAGA was held in the United States in July 1990. The conference served as a frame game, in which the participants contributed the content and determined much of the structure. The presentations and peripheral activities were designed to promote as much participant interaction as possible. To promote the use of innovative technology. video and computer equipment were made widely available. Details of the conference design and some of the most interesting activities are described in this article.
Modeling the Human Component in Computer-Based Business Simulations
Authors: Thavikulwat Precha
Published: March 2007

From the perspective that business simulations are tools that aid teaching, this model comprises four functions: concave exponential, convex exponential, logistic, and cusp catastrophe. The functions determine the effects of recruitment cost, benefits cost, training cost, and wage cost on the productivity of new hires, as well as rate of attrition, productivity of trained employees, and size of the labor pool. A simulation (CEO) allowing participants to change both the variables and the parameters of these functions has been developed. Tactical decisions involve variables; strategic decisions involve parameters. These functions allow a clear distinction to be made between the two types of decisions.
Personality Bias in Total Enterprise Simulations
Authors: Patz Alan L
Published: March 2007

Information-processing and decision-making preferences, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) instrument, correlate highly with performance results in two of the three total enterprise (TE) simulations used in this study. For MICROMA17C, the performance correlation is r = .707, and for the Multinational Management Game it is r = .787. For CORPORA TION, the comparable result is r = -.002. Nevertheless, overall performance patterns are identical for all three. High-performing teams lead in the beginning periods, and their lead grows as the competition continues. These phenomena indicate not only the need to check for other kinds of simulation biases, but also they open an entirely new design area of intentionally biased simulations. Such simulations have extensive research possibilities as well as numerous practical training applications.
Using Games for Debriefing
Authors: Thiagarajan Sivasailam
Published: March 2007

A d-game is a special type of framegame that structures debriefing after the completion of any experiential activity. This article presents a seven-phase model for debriefing, with each phase identified by a key type of question. It describes and discusses eight d-games that are related to various phases in the debriefing procedure. Applications of the d-games are illustrated with reference to a common base activity.
Executive Evaluation of College Student Learning via Tie Looking Glass, Inc. Simulation
Authors: Page Diana , Roberts Ralph M.
Published: March 2007

This study measures the effects of involving beginning management students in an organizational simulation, 771E LOOKING GLASS, INC. A control and experimental group of students were compared in a pre- and posttest design. They responded to the question, What does a manager in a mid to large organization do on a daily basis?" Executives of mid- to large-sized organizations et the student responses Analysis indicated significant gains in knowledge for the students who participated in the simulation.
Nondirective Counseling for Managers: A Triadic Role-Play Preceded by Cognitive Structuring
Authors: Burch John C. , Smith Brooks E. , Piper William S.
Published: March 2007

Nondirective counseling is a seldom used but potentially effective tool for managers to use when helping subordinates and others in making everyday decisions. In management training seminars, the authors experimented with a triadic role-play experience in which each participant alternately took the role of counselor, counselee, and observer. The goals were to have participants learn some nondirective counseling skills and gain an appreciation of the efficacy of such an approach to helping others make decisions. The exercise proved to be largely unsuccessful. Participation was half-hearted and people remained convinced that a manager can be most helpful by giving advice. They simply would not or could not accept the idea that nondirective counseling was even a viable alternative. The authors decided that if the experience could not sell itself they would have to sell the experience. To sell the experience, a model was developed-A Continuum of Responsibility for Decision Making. The model provides cognitive structure and a rationale for the nondirective approach to helping others make decisions. The model is now presented before facilitating the experience. The improvement is dramatic. People eagerly participate and the goals of the experience are invariably achieved. Participants learn how and when to use nondirective counseling and now see nondirective counseling as an effective and viable tool. This article presents both the model and detailed instructions on how to conduct the experience using the model.
Foreign Direct Investment in Computerized Business Simulations
Authors: Mu Xinming
Published: March 2007

By definition, foreign direct investment is an investment made under different national governments. However, current literature and research on foreign direct investment have not properly incorporated host-country government policies into the investment decision process. This article develops a theoretical framework to investigate the interaction between policies of the host-country governments and performance of foreign equity investment. Based on the theoretical framework, a computerized simulation model is developed. The model may be used as a tool for analysis of real-world foreign direct investments and as an aid to develop negotiation strategies for foreign direct investments.
Gaming-Simulation: A Third World Experience
Authors: Pimentel Florosito Q.
Published: March 2007

A professional organization called PHILSAGA has been established in a developing country, the Philippines, to promote gaming/simulation. Experiences and insights gained in the areas of design, production, and administration and conduct of training are shared.
Straws in the Wind: Some Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Simulation and Gaming in the United Kingdom
Authors: Cherrington Ruth , van Ments Morry
Published: March 2007

This article discusses findings from a small-scale, exploratory study into teaching methods used by UK university adult and continuing education tutors and into how these methods were perceived and experienced by a sample of students. The initial aim was to uncover trends in usage of experiential methods, but both students and tutors were more concerned about pigeonholing different teaching and learning methods, with labels such as "experiential" and "interactive. " Not many tutors used role-play, simulation, and games on a regular basis. The types of materials frequently discussed in the pages of Simulation & Gaming were conspicuous by their absence. A number of reasons were given for this, including the expectations and preferences of adult students. This became the focus of the second part of the research, which found that more traditional methods, especially lectures, predominated, with only a few respondents having experience of any others. There were some negative opinions and perceptions of more experiential methods, even among those who had never experienced them, as well as some confusion in the minds of the students. Students preferred what is described here as the "interactive lecture," where they can participate within the framework of what remains a tutor-led learning situation.
Business Engineering: Dynanic Modeling Instruments for a Dynamic World
Authors: van Meel Jeroen W. , Sol Henk G.
Published: March 2007

In this article, Business Engineering (BE) is defined as the integral design of both organizational structures and information systems. A literature review shows that despite the numerous success stories, BE has so far achieved little theoretical and methodological support. A 4-year, action research project was started to overcome this problem. Dynamic modeling, a structured problem-solving approach for real-life problems using simulation, was taken as the initial intervention technique. Two BE case studies were carried out within the Amsterdam Municipal Police Force. Dynamic modeling together with practical experiences from the case studies and theoretical findings from fields such as system science, mathematical statistics, and socio-technical design were merged into a design approach, a design theory, and a set of automated tools for supporting, structuring, and guiding future BE efforts. The results of this project give outlook to a new and promising interdisciplinary research domain.
Simulation/Gaming for Policy Development and Organizational Change
Authors: Joldersma Cisca , Geurts Jac. L. A.
Published: March 2007

The theme of the 1997 conference of the International Simulation and Gaming Association (ISAGA) concerned simulation/games for policy development and organizational change. The conference aimed at bridging the gap between the gaming discipline and the policy and organization sciences. In academic and professional journals on policy, strategy, and organizational change, very few articles can be found on successful application of these kinds of simulation/games. Here, a brief overview is given of simulation/games for policy development and organizational change, based on an analysis of about 60 contributions to the proceedings of the 1997 ISAGA conference. In particular, this article considers the contributions that have been selectedforpublication in thisspecial issue of Simulation & Gaming: An International Journal.
The Validity of Games
Authors: Peters Vincent , Vissers Geert , Heijne Gerton
Published: March 2007

One way to deal with complex situations is the simulation approach: build a simplified model of this reality, learn from this simplified model, and, finally, translate the findings or knowledge back to the reality. Gaming is based on this idea. If we want to make inferences about reality based on experiences and knowledge acquired in a game, we have to be sure that the game model is a good, or valid, representation of the real situation. In this article, the concept of validity is explored in relation to games and simulations; four aspects of validity that apply to simulations and games are distinguished. These aspects are related to three applications of games. The article concludes with factors that may threaten validity during the process of the game design; a few suggestions are made to avert these threats.
Some Elements Relating to Children’s Play and Adult Simulaton/Gaming
Authors: Brougère Gilles
Published: March 2007

Children’s play and adult gaming, each of which are present in the world of education and training, too often refer to different explanatory paradigms. Is this distinction a legitimate one? In what way? This special issue of S&G and this introduction endeavor to provide some answers to these questions, based both on theoretical reflections and on examples given by the authors. The author attempts to demonstrate that these two fields of reflection have everything to gain through mutual enrichment.
Simulations and Games as Subversive Activities
Authors: Christopher Elizabeth M.
Published: March 2007

The article contrasts the advantages and disadvantages of using simulation games as a teaching tool. It describes some tactics to turn disadvantages into advantages, and ends by describing the role of the game leader as crucial to learning outcomes.
Integrating Family Assessment Into Social Work Practice
Authors: Reichertz Diane , Frankel Harvy
Published: March 2007

Despite the existence of a number of potentially useful instruments for assessing family functioning, most social workers rely on idiosyncratic indicators when assessing clients' families. This article demonstrates the applicability of a classification system for the Family Environment Scale (FES) that requires no computer skill or mathematical expertise. Data from a randomly selected sample of 58 client families were subjected to the classification system, which yielded five distinct groups and accounted for 83% of the sample. When combined with clinical observations, the descriptions of the groups can aid in planning interventions and organizing services.
Evaluating a Self-Help Approach to Helping a Phobic Child: A Profile Analysis
Authors: Secret Mary , Bloom Martin
Published: March 2007

This is a report of the practitioner evaluation of clinical social work in afield setting; it involved helping a 9-year-old girl with a severe phobia of dogs. A single-system design is used to evaluate the outcome of contextual therapy, a real-life desensitization approach. An instigative method, self-help training for the child, was directed by a clinical social worker who was not present during the intervention. Treatment appeared to produce a rapid and significant decrease in the child's perception of fear and dog avoidance behavior. A profile analysis of the single-subject data revealed the progressive changes in the whole configuration offears. The methodology is innovative in that both the analysis and the treatment approach combine to capture the complexity of real life while imposing a logical way of measuring change.
Applying Single-Case Evaluation Methodology in a British Social Work Agency
Authors: Kazi Mansoor A. F. , Wilson Joe T.
Published: March 2007

This article reports on a project in a British social work agency. The central aim of the project was to train and encourage social workers to apply single-case evaluation designs. Following some training, 21 social workers applied the designs in 83 cases, demonstrating considerable commitment. At the time of writing, changes are being made in the agency's policies, procedures, and practices to facilitate the use of single-case evaluation designs in the daily work of the agency's staff. Both quantitative and qualitative measures were used, and a large number of cases involved nonbehavioral interventions.
Data Analysis Problems in Single-Case Evaluation: Issues for Research on Social Work Practice
Authors: Rubin Allen , Knox Karen S.
Published: March 2007

Data analysis problems, particularly involving the likelihood of obtaining visually ambiguous graphs, pose a barrier to efforts to promote increased use of smgle-case evaluation by practitioners. The debate about whether these efforts will eventually achieve sufficient success has thus far paid little attention to the impact of data analysis problems on practitioners' propensity to sustain a commitment to conducting single-case evaluations. This article uses findings from an evaluation of a cognitive-behavioral intervention with adolescent sex offenders to illustrate these data analysis problems and develop issues for research on social work practice and the teaching of single-case evaluation.
Generalizability of Findings of Exploratory Practice-Based Research on Polydrug-Addicted Mothers
Authors: Grant Darlene
Published: March 2007

The generahzability of research using small nonrandom convenience samples is a central issue in social work. This analysis empirically examines the generalizability offindings in exploratory practice-based research by using the case of a study involving polydrug-addicted women. This article extends the discussion of generality offindings past the single-case research to applied research using larger samples. Specifically, generalizability to the larger population of the responses of 39 polydrug-addicted mothers on their parenting beliefs, parenting stress, and parent-child interactions is explored. This is done by systematically comparing the demographic characteristics of the small sample of women with a large random sample of 2,082 drug-addicted women.
Science and Social Work: Are They Compatible?
Authors: Barber James G.
Published: March 2007

This article was originally presented in 1995 as the keynote address of the National Conference of the Australian Association of Social Workers. The author analyzes some of the sources of resistance to accepting scientific methodology within social work, including political, philosophical, and quasi-religious ones. The strength of scientific methods, as opposed to other ways of knowing, includes their utility in proving that some "findings" are indeed false and their skeptical attitude toward new claims.
Staging Breast Cancer, Rehearsing Metastatic Disease
Authors: Sinding Christina , Gray Ross , Fitch Margaret , Greenberg Marlene
Published: March 2007

Social science researchers have fruitfully used a range of conceptualizations of “performance”: as a metaphor for social life, a way of vivifying research findings, and a form of scholarly representation. In this article, the researchers consider performance in its hermeneutic sense, as a way of generating meaning. The drama Handle With Care? Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer was created by a research team, a theater troupe, and women with breast cancer. The researchers employ an interpretive phenomenological framework to explore interviews with women with breast cancer involved in creating Handle With Care? The performative context in which the drama developed allowed certain illness meanings to emerge, intensify, and shift. The article also considers ethical dilemmas surfaced by this project.
Managing the Transition from Hospital to Home
Authors: Bull Margaret J.
Published: March 2007

This study describes the transition from hospital to home from the perspective of the older adults and family members who experience it. Qualitative data were collected in semistructured interviews conducted with a purposive sample of 55 older adult/family member dyads at 2 weeks and 2 months following hospitalization. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The findings suggest that the 2-week period following hospitalization is characterized by worry, followed by attempts to establish routines and acquire mastery by 2 months post discharge.
Relinquishing Infertility: The Work of Pregnancy for Infertile Couples
Authors: Sandelowski Margarete , Harris Betty G. , Black Beth Perry
Published: March 2007

Although infertility has been described as an experience with long-term implications for the well-being of couples affected by it, few studies have examined any part of the aftermath of infertility. This article describes the ways in which infertility shapes the pregnancy course in couples who have struggled to conceive. The findings are drawn from 162 interviews conducted with 60 couples (41 infertile and a comparison group of 19 fertile) expecting a child, who were participants in a longitudinal field study involving both childbearing and adopting couples. During the course of the study, 63 pregnancies were observed. The core variable distinguishing the infertile from the fertile couples' pregnancies was relinquishing infertility. Beyond this variable, infertility emerged as important, but only one of a number of factors altering the experience of contemporary childbearing.
Learning to Nurse: Plans, Accounts, and Action
Authors: Campbell Marie L. , Jackson Nancy S.
Published: March 2007

This article reports a study of the relation between learning and work in nursing. Using "institutional ethnography," it examines the learning process in the final year of a three-year nursing program in a Canadian college, preparing graduates for RN exams. The article is concerned with how the learning process is shaped by the use of a formal model rooted in a scientific model of nursing and how that model's use contributes to making the learning process reportable as comprehensive, orderly, and adequate to professional requirements. But it finds evidence of a gap between achievement of "accountably adequate instruction" and requirements for appropriate action in the nursing situation. These findings suggest that models of nursing science may serve the profession in contradictory ways by contributing to the very problems they are meant to solve.
The Missing Voice in Interdisciplinary Communication
Authors: McClelland Marleen , Sands Roberta G.
Published: March 2007

The research problem investigated in this article emerged from a year-long ethnographic study of the interdisciplinary process of teams evaluating children for mental retardation/developmental disabilities. The researchers noticed that when a discipline was not present at team meetings, others attempted to speak for it. This article examines the team process and case consequences of such a "missing voice." Data collected through participant observation and videotaping were triangulated with transcripts, written and audiovisual records, and an interview with the missing team member. This process revealed a trail of ambiguous findings and uncertainty on the part of team members of disciplines related to that of the missing member. The "missing" member identified the knowledge, assessment skills, and theoretical perspective she could have contributed if consulted. The findings demonstrate that (a) team members bring differing knowledge and observational perspectives and (b) team deliberations appear to be a function of who is present and what is negotiated.
The Instability of the Caring Body: Gender and Caregivers of Confused Older People
Authors: Opie Anne
Published: March 2007

Literature on caregiving identifies gender as a major social policy issue. It highlights caring as grounded in assumptions about women's natural caring role and embedded social expectations and behavioral patterns. This literature has typically employed a universalized notion of "woman." It has left differences between women substantially unexplored. Differences in caring practice between genders have been typically represented as fixed, and the dynamic and fluid dimension of gender has been suppressed. Based on a postmodern reading of accounts of caregiving by 28 New Zealand female and male White caregivers, the article theorizes gender as both unstable and rigid in its everyday manifestations. Gender categories are described as constituted by complex social processes and representations and as crossing sex-speciic boundaries. The article seeks to achieve an analysis of research data that accurately maps the complexities of gender and that begins to explore the processes by which individuals cross gender boundaries.
Integrating Ethics with Symbolic Interactionism: The Case of Oncology
Authors: Tourigny Sylvie C.
Published: March 2007

Social scientists often relegate ethics to ex post facto considerations and dissociate theory from experientially moral phenomena because it lacks the requisite epistemological tools for an ethic-centered discourse. Research linking individual attributes and access to privilege perpetuates the politics of status-contingent voice and perspective. Therefore, our work has inherently [un]ethical dimensions—more powerful because they remain unarticulated. Drawing from feminist scholarship highlighting the unavoidability of "standpoint" and "perspective" in research, and from data from a 39-month ethnography of ovarian cancer patients, I reveal ethical principles embedded within the Chicago school of symbolic interactionism. This articulation of embodied ethics creates a context wherein ethnographic data reveal themselves as sociopolitical. The vulnerability of respondents emerges; however, they use research participation to identify the multiple layers of their [dis]empowerment. Integrating an ethical mandate within theory and methodology provides an effective analytic tool, and the means to assert a theoretic preference acknowledging respondent entitlement!
Channel of Desire: Fetal Ultrasonography in Two Use-Contexts
Authors: Sandelowski Margarete
Published: March 2007

This article describes couples' experiences with fetal ultrasonography as a type of technology transfer. Framing information obtained from multiple interviews conducted with 62 childbearing couples within Ihde's conceptualization of a cultural hermeneutics of technology, the author argues that fetal ultrasonography has different meanings in the use-contexts of obstetric practice and parenthood. Although fetal ultrasonography is typically located in obstetric literature within the technology of prenatal diagnosis that is aimed at monitoring fetal development and detecting fetal impairments, the childbearing couples interviewed tended to locate fetal ultrasonography within the realm of parental appraisal, acquaintance, and care. The implications of these different contexts are addressed.
"Innocent Parties" and "Disheartening" Experiences: Natural Rhetorics in Neuro-Rehabilitation Admissions Conferences
Authors: Griffiths Lesley , Hughes David
Published: March 2007

This research investigates how neuro-rehabilitation staff attend to the issue of patient deservingnesss" in admissions conference talk. Examined are the instances in which staff move from a reporting mode dealing with clinical information to a storytelling mode that conveys personal and moral information for example, that the patient is an "innocent party" in an accident, that the patient has family commitments, or that relatives have struggled bravely in the face of adverse circumstances and deserve help. The distinctive story like segments involved, which are analyzed as "natural rhetorics," appear to be deployed to strengthen the argument for admission by providing a moral under pinning for decisions ostensibly taken on medical grounds. The authors argue that the wider context of resource constraint and rationing, the uncertainty of rehabilitation outcomes, and the dynamics of interdisciplinary teamwork all help to explain the presence of natural rhetorics in admissions discussions.
The Subjective Experience of the Subjective Experience of Forgetfulness among Elders
Authors: Cromwell Sandra L.
Published: March 2007

Although concern by elders about personal forgetfulness has been well documented, the elders' experience of forgetfulness has not been studied. Nine elder volunteers participated in this grounded theory study. The resultant beginning of a substantive theory of the personal or subjective experience of forgetfulness describes how elders, when faced with perceived forgetfulness, engage in a three-phase iterative process of self-assessment, coping, and reassessment. The goal of this process is the maintenance of a sense of self, or "continuing to be who I am," through actions aimed at maintaining identity continuity and personal competence. Possible interventions suggested by this theory include activities to (a) assist elders in improving their self-esteem, (b)facilitate the development of new role scripts enabling the maintenance of valued roles, and (c) teach alternative strategies for coping with forgetting.
The Meaning of "Participation" in Participant Observation
Authors: Ashworth Peter D.
Published: March 2007

Whether writers have a postmodernist orientation or a residual concern to defend the technique against positivist criticisms as providing unequivocal scientific data, theoretically systematic accounts of participant observation in terms of its nature as a social activity carried out by conscious human agents are missing from the literature of health research and the human sciences generally. In this article, the technique of participant observation, as a process of social interaction, is viewed in the context of a phenomenology of participation. Participation involves the following constituents: (a) attunement to the others' stock of knowledge at hand, (b) emotional and motivational attunement to the group's concerns, (c) taking for granted that one can contribute appropriately, and (d) being able to assume that one's identity is not under threat. It is shown that the features of participant observation, as a technique that first and foremost entails conscious social engagement, can be systematized in the light of the phenomenology of participation.
Theoretical Issues in Building a Grounded Theory: Application of an Example of a Program of Research on Infertility
Authors: Olshansky Ellen F.
Published: March 2007

Grounded theory research is often described as the foundation for subsequent deductive studies that test out the resulting theory or interventions based on it. Another view, however, is that an initial grounded theory study can serve as the basis for a series of such studies in a program of research that seeks to modify, to verify, and to elaborate on the evolving theory. This article aims to (a) present an example of a program of research on infertility whereby a grounded theory of identity of self as an infertile person was developed and elaborated on, and (b) raise theoretical questions about grounded theory methodology in an effort to advance our thinking about this methodology and how it can contribute to theory generation through linked studies in a program of research.
Theoretical Constraints in the First Phase of a Multisite Case Study of Health Services
Authors: Scavenius Michael , Onland Jan
Published: March 2007

This article illuminates the difficulties involved in conducting a multisite case study of different health services. It confines itself to describing the initial phase of such an inquiry. It argues that both the methodological and the content-related complexity of such research places great theoretical constraints on the researcher. Such constraints should not be resolved by simply applying some pregiven theory. It is shown how theoretical constraints arise in the need to formulate some notion of comparability for the different sites under investigation. Because such comparability is conceptualized mainly in a confrontation with the empirical data, the description of the process contains several reformulations of the research problem, taking note of various pitfalls and stumbling blocks. Finally, the general results of the pilot study are reported.
Methadone Clinic Culture: The Everyday Realities of Female Methadone Clients
Authors: Fraser James
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this article is to explore the ways in which clinic practices create obstacles for women who seek drug treatment. On the basis of interviews and participant observation at a methadone clinic, this article uncovers issues that women negotiate with their status as methadone clients. Being a woman and being a methadone client, from a feminist perspective, interact in our society to provide various meanings for women. Accounts from female clients make visible the neglect that persists in treatment settings. Their experiences illustrate the dilemmas women face when entering a male-dominated organization. These stories comprise the everyday workings of the methadone clinic and are part of the production of subsequent clinic culture, which is embedded in the larger social world that is gendered.
The Male Experience of Caregiving for a Family Member with Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Parsons Karen
Published: March 2007

A phenomenological method was used to investigate the male experience of caregiving for a family member with Alzheimer's disease. Eight men, 5 spouses, and 3 sons were interviewed to find out what their experiences were like. From the analysis of the interview data, eight themes were identified for all the caregivers: (a) enduring, (b) vigilance, (c) a sense of loss, (d) aloneness and loneliness, (e) taking away, (P searching to discover, (g) the need for assistance, and (h) reciprocity. An additional theme was identified from the experience of the son caregivers: (i) overstepping the normal boundaries. The themes were interrelated to form a whole that captured the experience of caregiving for the male caregivers. Alzheimer's disease shaped these men's feelings toward every aspect of caregiving. Findings from this study challenge the primacy of the concept of "caregiver burden" as the predominant aspect of caregiving.
Using Virtual Focus Groups in Qualitative Research
Authors: Murray Peter J.
Published: March 2007

Within qualitative research, focus groups have particular strengths for gathering the breadth and depth of participants' opinions on issues specified by the researcher. This article explores the transfer of this data collection technique into another domain by the use of virtual focus groups conducted as private e-mail discussions. The author draws on his experience of conducting virtual groups to present issues in their use and to provide recommendations for researchers considering using this approach.
Social Support: Assessing Conceptual Coherence
Authors: Hupcey Judith E.
Published: March 2007

The concept of social support has been used extensively in both the theoretical and research literature, yet it has not been clearly delineated or operationalized. As a result, numerous other concepts have been subsumed under the heading of social support. In this article, the concept of social support will be analyzed for the purpose of concept clarification using the qualitative research approach of critical analysis of the literature. The present conceptualizations and operationalizations of social support are examined, and the incongruities or fit between the concept and its application are presented. Then, the structural features of social support are identified, and a revised definition of the concept is suggested.
Epilepsies, Identities, and Difference: Horizons of Meaning for Individuals with an Epilepsy
Authors: Faircloth Chris A.
Published: March 2007

Since the late 1970s and early 1980s, epilepsy has emerged as a dynamic vehicle through which the social construction of illness can be researched. However, in various ways these efforts have remained somewhat stagnant and have concentrated on specific themes of the experience, such as stigma. To "reenergize" the field, the author focuses on the stories of three individuals with an epilepsy and employs an analytic vocabulary derived from Gubrium and Holstein along with contemporary theoretical arguments concerning the construction of identity and meaning to concentrate on the divergent and peculiar nature of the epilepsy experience. Drawing its dynamics from the poststructuralist concept of difference, this article discusses and analyzes the fragmented and ensembled identities of the individual with an epilepsy. Last, the importance of future efforts in the cross-disciplinary study of the illness experience are highlighted and discussed.
From Mutual Pretense Awareness to Open Awareness: Single Pregnant Women's Public Encounters in an Irish Context
Authors: Hyde Abbey
Published: March 2007

Based on qualitative interviews with 51 single pregnant women, this article explores how participants negotiated encounters in public in an Irish context. It is argued that tensions in some encounters that women experienced exhibited features of the phenomenon defined as mutual pretense awareness, first identified by Glaser and Strauss in their work on dying. As in Glaser and Strauss's work, mutual pretense awareness often gave way to open awareness, particularly toward the end of the gestation period when the state of pregnancy became highly visible. The shift from mutual pretense awareness to open awareness had implications for women's mental health status insofar as openness about the pregnancy served to moderate stress levels associated with some public interactions. Goffman's conceptualization of stigma mediates the analysis, where the management of information and tension is significant in negotiating encounters.
Storytelling as Inquiry in a Mental Hospital
Authors: Abma Tineke A.
Published: March 2007

People give meaning to chaotic experiences and try to persuade others of their perspectives by telling stories. In the process of meaning making, some stories gain and maintain the status of a standard story. When people no longer recognize themselves in the standard story, it loses credibility and a different story is needed to endow their lives and practices with meaning. A narrative inquiry of a vocational rehabilitation project in a mental hospital shows that inherited stories sustained the therapists' professional practice but prevented a successful re-habilitation of patients. Several therapists were willing to place this standard story between brackets and to listen to other unheard stories told by patients who participated in the project. These marginalized stories did not replace the standard story but enriched it. New plot lines were woven into the existing story and constituted changes in professional practice.
The Role of Writing Quality in Effective Student Résumés
Authors: Charney Davida H. , Rayman Jack R.
Published: March 2007

While writing teachers view the résumé as a sophisticated rhetorical chal lenge, students tend to see it as a "technical specification"of their employment qualifications. This study investigated the reader's perspective by examining how writing features influence recruiters' assessments of résumés. Eighteen recruiters rated 72 résumés describing fictitious mechanical-engineering stu dents. Four résumé features were systematically varied: relevance of previous work experience, elaboration ofindependent coursework, stylistic quality, and mechanical correctness. The major result suggests that technical work experi ence is important but not sufficient: If the résumés of technically well- qualified applicants contained grammatical errors, recruiters rated these résumés lower than résumés listing less experience but containing more accu rate writing.1
Some Assessments of Business Communication Scholarship from Social Science Citations
Authors: REINSCH N. LAMAR , REINSCH JANET W.
Published: March 2007

This article reports Social Sciences Citation Index® citations of six periodicals, three that cover business communication explicitly and three that address related areas. The results indicate that business communication articles are cited by many different journals—primarily in the areas of written communication, social sciences and education, and business and economics—but are not cited frequently. The results also indicate that business communication periodicals compare favorably on several indexes of impact with 10 communication journals studied by Clement So. Some differences are noted between the six journals, and the most-cited business communication articles are identified.
All Business Students Need to know the Same Things!
Authors: GOBY VALERIE PRISCILLA
Published: March 2007

This article challenges the conventional approach to cross-cultural communication teaching that instructs students to adapt their communication styles to different cultures by providing them with details about the particular practices of these cultures. It argues for an approach that focuses on common principles of effective communication by pointing out some limitations of the current culture-specific approach and presenting a pilot study that indicates the commonality of communication needs. It suggests some ways to find a different approach for studying international communication and shows that some current research is, in fact, moving in that direction.