bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Only in My Dreams Could Happen”- A Greek Gay Man’s Experience of Intimate Relationships in a Country that Has Just Passed a Same-Sex Union Law; a Qualitative Study Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Authors: Matiaki Maria , Montague Jane
Published: October 2017

This study investigated how a Greek gay man experienced his homosexuality over the course of his life, while living in Greece. Research has shown that sexuality does not play an important role in variables such as intimacy, and love (Elizur - Mintzer, 2003; Wagner, Remien - Carballo-Dieguez, 2000). Social and cultural parameters however affect sexuality acceptance and psychological wellbeing (Bader, 2009; Wight, LeBlanc - Lee Badgett, 2013). In the Greek society many gay men over the years chose to conceal their sexual identity out of fear of harassment (Veremis et al, 2013). Greece however has just passed a new same-sex union law aiming at giving equal rights to homosexual couples. This study based on a single interview case, aimed at interpreting the participant’s reality under the premises of Interpretative phenomenological analysis. The participant, a 42 year old gay man, participated in an one hour semi-structured interview. Four themes emerged as a result of the transcript analysis; the need to be normal; time as a construct in his life; the importance of micro and macro environment; dealing with feelings and emotions. The participant’s need for safety and comfort, the emotional implication from lack of it, as well as his positive emotions as a result of intimacy, love and wide acceptance have emerged from the analysis of the theme “dealing with feelings and emotions”. The findings of the analysis are supported by existing literature. The nature of this qualitative study has helped the researcher to give voice to the participant and to analyze his experiences and concerns from a psychological perspective (Larkin, Watts, - Clifton, 2006).
Evaluation of Writing Assignments
Authors: Jokić Anita
Published: October 2017

Teaching English as a foreign language is now one of the most important subjects in Croatian secondary schools since English is one of the three obligatory subjects at 'matura' - standardized tests which the seniors need to pass to graduate. Writing is one of the three parts of the EL exam, the other two being listening and reading. When learning a language, students start from listening skill, move on to speaking and reading and finally to most difficult skill to master: writing. Teaching and learning writing faces a lot of challenges since it requires a lot of time to practice and even more to evaluate and monitor progress. Teacher's responsibilities are to regularly provide opportunities to write, encourage students to learn from their mistakes and promote their success. In order to do so, students should be given clear instructions on evaluation/assessment and concise feedback. Since grading written assignments takes up a lot of time, the author proposes rubrics which can be used to assess various types of writing taught at secondary level (description of place/event/person, letters of complaint, job application, invitation, discursive/opinion/for-and-against essay etc.). Author suggests four fixed rubrics and subdivisions: Task completion, Cohesion / coherence, Grammar and Vocabulary. All rubrics and subdivisions are described in the paper. A survey was also conducted on a sample of 140 students and has given an insight into students’ opinion on importance of assessment and feedback and its influence on their progress.
Education Towards Differences: Preventing Gender and Sex Discriminations in Subjects in the Age of Development
Authors: Gianola Mariano , Masullo Giuseppe
Published: October 2017

The present contribution addresses the issue of preventing and combating gender and sex discrimination in subjects in the age of development and, specifically, children. In our society, characterized by an ideological sexist, genderist and heterocentric matrix, identities that cannot placed within the socially constructed and accepted stereotypes of normality are – often – victims of abuses and they are denied equal treatment. In order to raise awareness of the need to respect personal and social differences, more and more initiatives are being created aimed at promoting a non-discriminatory attitude towards gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-conforming and queer people. Among such initiatives, the construction and narration of stories for children explaining the concepts inherent in the culture of differences, are a valid tool for fostering a climate and a cultural structure free of gender and sex stigmatization and instead aiming at enhancing “difference”, considering it a positive possibility just like socially-accepted states. The essay, after a brief description of the characteristics of language, attitudes and relationship with reality in subjects in the age of development, examines the methodological and ethical approach to be used with children, so as to allow them to understand the possibility of different forms of identity and otherness. Preventing and countering prejudices arising from beliefs and social models that help in reproducing every day, in civil society, discriminations, harassment, and unequal treatment against many people, represents a mission to create and reproduce an inclusive and democratic society.
The Effects of Mentoring Functions on Career Adaptabilities and Career Self-Efficacy: the Role of Career Optimism
Authors: KANTEN Selahattin , KANTEN Pelin , ÜLKER Funda
Published: October 2017

This study aims to investigate the effects of mentoring functions on undergraduate student’s career adaptabilities and career self-efficacy levels and the mediating role of career optimism. It is suggested in the literature that some factors stimulate student’s career adaptability levels. Therefore, mentoring functions, career optimism and career self-efficacy are considered as predictors of career adaptabilities within the scope of the study. Accordingly, data which are collected by the survey method from 311 undergraduate students having an education on different field such as business administration, international trade and logistics, public management and labor economics are analyzed by using the structural equation modeling. The results of the study indicate that mentoring functions, which is labeled as role modeling, have significant effects on student’s career adaptability, career optimism and career self-efficacy levels. However, it has been observed that career optimism has a significant effect on career self-efficacy and career adaptabilities. On the other hand, it is seen that career optimism has a fully mediating role between the role modeling and career adaptabilities. In addition, career optimism has a fully mediating role between role modeling and career self-efficacy.
The Failure of the American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”- Fitzgerald
Authors: Hodo Zamira
Published: October 2017

The American Dream is one of the most important issues, which has drawn the attention of literary criticism through many years. It represents the ideals of a nation: equality, liberty, pursuit of happiness and democracy; ideals that have been understood in different ways by people. The real values related to these ideals changed and deviated from what it was meant into the enormous desire and greed for wealth and power. Fitzgerald tried to reveal that social discrimination is present and no one is treated as equal to others. The following research over the novel “The Great Gatsby” demonstrates how the dream cannot be successful because of the way it is misunderstood by the society and people’s materialism view of modern life. The characters and their attitudes through the chronology of the story are the embodiment of disappointment and the lack of moral values in the pursuance of a dream. Qualitative research used in this study aims to give a clear image and a deep analysis of the novel’s major themes, symbols, the period of writing, author’s life, various perspectives of the American Dream and its failure. We expect this thesis to be a good guide for further readings and projects with an explicit goal that the achievement of a dream does not necessarily requires the loss of the self and an excessive significance to what ruins the personal and the others future.
Regulation and Precariatisation of Working Life
Authors: Keller Kurt Dauer , Keller Hanne Dauer
Published: October 2017

The regulation of labour market attachment and working conditions now appears to be a thoroughly cultural and political issue, which is just as much a subjection to compulsory flexibility in association with the deregulation of collectively attained rights. Precarious working life is an age-old form of exploitation, expanding in our days to the academic fields of communication work and knowledge work. Sum and Jessop offer an approach to the theoretical understanding of this current epoch. However, their leaning on Foucault together with information science and systems science set a decisive limit to any phenomenological perspective of cultural and political experience – and thus hamper their project of outlining a cultural political economy. Still, Sum and Jessop’s important contribution to the notion of a cultural political economy must be recognized, not least when it comes to grasping the precariatisation of academic knowledge work and communication work.
Conceptualizing Sensory Emotioncy as a Source of Group Formation
Authors: Pishghadam Reza , Shakeebaee Golshan , Boustani Nasim
Published: October 2017

An understanding of the qualities that attract people to each other and the tenacious forces that connect them into social units seems to be necessary for the advancement of sound comprehension of interpersonal relationships. Given the fact that the role of senses is accentuated in social relations, the present study intends to benefit from the newly developed concept of sensory emotioncy to predict the perceived similarity. To this end, 24 participants were asked to fill the sensory emotioncy scale. After that, based on the obtained score, they were put into four groups of six, and negotiated about three different topics. The way that participants team up in the groups were tracked, and it was observed that the participants with adjacent sensory emotioncy score tend to team up with each other. In the end, the possible implications of this qualitative study are presented.
The Image of Politics in Art: Projecting the Oppression in Turkish Art Scene
Authors: Yilmaz Ayşe Nahide
Published: October 2017

In the 1970s, Turkey's artistic milieu was mostly influenced by socialist realistic painters who demonstrated political criticism with a figurative understanding. The oppression that came with the coup d'état of September 12, 1980 aimed at a depoliticized society, and artists were then politically diverted to implicit and indirect ways. While direct intervention from the military or the civil government under its control rarely came, the artists and art institutions have even ended some kind of auto censorship. In a demoralized and depoliticized cultural environment, the works that embodied the 'social ghost' have both raised emotional and reactive objections and ironically created a sense of guilt in the audience. Being a spectator meant to be a victim, a judge, a witness, or maybe -in fact- all of these at once. The artist imagination reproducing the notions of authority and power in silenced societies has made conspicuous human rights violations, tortures, and executions through works of art. Artists, who counted art as a vehicle to change the world, have provided a deep dimension in art environment with a wide variety of knowledge and skills right along with new techniques and materials. In this work, there shall be many examples of artists and works of art that combine 'art politics' and 'political art' as a single thing, which goes beyond traditional approaches to art and politics in the intense and subversive political atmosphere of the 1980s in Turkey.
The Relationship Between Beauty and Metaphysics in the Theory of Saint Tomas Aquinas
Authors: Amini Mahdi
Published: October 2017

Metaphysics and beauty are very important and challenging issues in philosophy that have been always noteworthy of philosophers. The relationship between these issues and the condition of these in philosophers's philosophical system is very different and various and every philosopher try to describe this in a specific way. It seems that there are very deep relationship between metaphysics and beauty in the philosophical system of philosophers that metaphysics is a fundamental subject in their philosophical system, because they explain their philosophical issue base on their metaphysical theory. Scholastic philosophers and philosophers of the middle Ages who were affected by Greek philosophy and lived in the Christian World are one group of that philosophers, however this relationship could be different. Saint Thomas Aquinas was a Catholic Priest in the Dominican Order and one of the most important medieval philosophers and theologians who have considered his theory base on metaphysics and theology. So, in this article I try by philosophical analysis method to show how metaphysics and beauty are connected in the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas. The results of this Article show that we cannot separate metaphysics and beauty in philosophy of Thomas Aquinas, so study on metaphysics of Thomas Aquinas is required as a prior condition for study on beauty.
Effects of the Climate on the Students' Recreational Activities Who Comes from Different Climate Types
Authors: YILMAZ Tahsin , OLGUN Rifat , ATLI Derya
Published: October 2017

Turkey has a large surface area with different topographic features. For this reason, there are regionally climate types (mediterranean climate, black sea climate and continental climate) that are affected by the natural structure of the regions. The climatic elements (temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, etc.) that are manifested by these climate types are the most effective environmental factors on the recreational activities of the individuals living in the region. Therefore, the recreational activities preferred by the individuals differ according to the climatic characteristics of the region where they live in. The university life is an important period in the formation of the personalities of individuals and in the acquisition of habits that will continue for years. The recreational activities preferred in this period have an important effect on many aspects of the life of the students. University students go to cities where have different natural and cultural characteristics from the city they live in to continue their university education and they live there. The recreational activities preferences of university students may differ according to the characteristics of the region. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of climate on recreational activities preferred by university students who come from different regions for get a university education. In this context, the data is gathered by applying the questionnaire on coincidentally selected 174 students who are studying at Akdeniz University. The data was analysed via SPSS statistical analyse package software. During the evaluation of the data were used descriptive statistical methods such as Percentage (%) and frequency (f). These outcomes demonstrate that the climate factor of the region has an important effect on the recreational activities preferred by university students from regions with different climate types. It has been reached that the recreational activities of students who come from the continental climate and the Black Sea climate types are affected positively in the study area where dominant climate type is Mediterranean climate and that the individuals from this climate type prefer the outdoor recreational activities.
Project-based learning and student development skills
Authors: Mullai Elvira
Published: October 2017

This study presents the results of a research work, which aims to highlight the benefits of learning through projects in the development of cognitive and psycho-social skills of students. Project-based learning is a contemporary teaching method where students work on a project about a topic or a particular problem that seeks to develop a variety of learning skills such as cognitive skills, social and collaborative skills, self-affirmative and leadership skills. To accomplish this work, students rely on prior knowledge of the subject and in-depth research on issues to be answered. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the positivity that the projected hours for the development of the special potentials the students have, aiming at the successful inclusion of students in the learning process. To substantiate the problem, we have also raised the research question: How does project work affect the students learning, leadership and social skills? To answer the research question of this study, we have raised the hypothesis that project work encourages the development of student learning, leadership and social skills. We have proved this problem through a qualitative observation method that was realized with the students of the eighth grade in the 9-year school "Abdulla Hida" in Elbasan, in the interlocutor project hours. From the results of the research we have come to the conclusion that through project-based learning is achieved the cognitive, social and self-empowering development of students.
The Impact of Organizational Factors in Ethical Decision Making of Albanian Accountants
Authors: Bebi Loreta , Xhindi Teuta
Published: October 2017

The role of professional accountant is increasing in developed countries, part of which is also Albania. According to recent studies, accountants’ ethics behaviour is not appropriate even though it is one of the most essential attributes that an accountant should possess in order to fulfil its mission. Various scholars admitted that during the process of decision making, accountants are influenced by individual and organizational factors. This paper aims to analyse the impact of organizational factors in ethical decision making of Albanian accountants. The article is based on primary data using a questionnaire and generating 230 respondent accountants that work in Albania. After data analysing we conclude that the code of ethics (the companies ethical climate and the type of industry where the accountant works) influences the decision making process. Meanwhile, the size of company is not an influential factor.
Satisfying the Housing Needs of Disabled Citizens in North-Eastern Poland
Authors: Zapotoczna Marcelina
Published: October 2017

:Since disabled people have lower income and their geographical mobility is lower, they often tolerate inappropriate housing conditions, i.e. conditions that do not suit the type and degree of their disability. This article presents the results of interviews conducted among people affected by various degrees of disability. The main aim of the study was to determine the housing needs in regard to quality and to the extent to which the needs are satisfied by people living in the north-east of Poland. The first stage of the study involved identification of the factors that determine the quality of housing that satisfies the basic needs and barriers which prevent performing everyday activities. Subsequently, a multidimensional analysis was conducted to assess the extent to which the housing needs are satisfied in groups identified by the degree of disability. The synthetic measures and distance-related indexes suggested the existence of large diversity in the level of satisfaction of housing needs in the groups of disabled people under study.
Social Welfare System of Republic of Srpska in the Function of Developing a Non-Governmental Network of Support for Children with Disabilities
Authors: Lepir Ljubo , Šćepović Dragana , Radonjić Andrea Rakanović
Published: October 2017

Children with disabilities represent a significant part of the population of users within Social welfare system in the Republic of Srpska. Number of children with a disability who are registered as users at the centers for social work, and therefore as users of social services, annually range around 3.5 thousand. Their status and support services are defined by the Law on Social Protection, which allows the non-governmental sector to provide services for children with disabilities. The network of non-governmental organizations and consumer associations concerned with providing social support to children with disabilities and their parents began to develop in the late 90s, when they started to form parents' associations in several municipalities. In the past period such associations were formed in almost all the communities in the Republic of Srpska. Their activities are very important for improving social protection in local communities. These associations work together at regional level, in the framework of the Association Persons with Mental disabilities (acronym - MINERALS). The effect of parents' associations is recognized through the development of partnerships with centers for social work on the realization of social protection measures for children with disabilities. Associations have developed new support services such as day care, speech therapy treatments, workshops, self-help groups and etc. Association improved the direct work with children, provide new ways of financing social protection and welfare (project finance), have contributed to the planning of services, developed the partnership model of cooperation, have contributed to the legal solutions; enhance the social sensitivity of the local community to the situation of children with disabilities. This paper presents the development of a network of parents associations of children with disabilities in the Republic of Srpska, legal merits of their work and partnership in the social welfare system, model of community work and the role of associations in the life of the local community. Paper also presents the results of research relating to the general characteristics of a network of associations, members of the association structure, and the types of services provided to the associations, methods of working with customers, quality of partnerships and ways of financing the association.
Application of Change of Basis in the Simplex Method
Authors: Özdemir Mehmet Hakan
Published: October 2017

The simplex method is a very useful method to solve linear programming problems. It gives us a systematic way of examining the vertices of the feasible region to determine the optimal value of the objective function. It is executed by performing elementary row operations on a matrix that we call the simplex tableau. It is an iterative method that by repeated use gives us the solution to any n variable linear programming model. In this paper, we apply the change of basis to construct following simplex tableaus without applying elementary row operations on the initial simplex tableau.
Chemical Castration of Child Molesters – Right or Wrong?!
Authors: Ratkoceri Vedije
Published: October 2017

Studies have shown that recidivism rates among child sexual offenders are very high. Therefore, the number of children victimized by paedophiles is also very high. In most of the cases, offenders committing these crimes suffer from paraphilia – categorized as a mental disorder by the psychological sciences. Thus, imprisonment for this category of child abusers obviously is not the answer. That’s why a lot of states have tried to incorporate in their legislations a medical treatment useful to prevent recidivism of paedophiles and to protect the children. Chemical castration is merely a type of hormone therapy that takes away the offender’s sexual desire. There can be some unpleasant side effects, but they are mostly reversible and this paper tries to argue that this procedure is humane and necessary to prevent child molesters. The first part of this paper examines paedophilia, chemical castration procedure and will show data from studies made mostly in USA to see the efficiency of this procedure. The second part of this paper examines the growing trend by legislators towards favoring castration as a sentencing alternative and explains the reasons for this trend. This part finds that this trend is a necessary response to a failing criminal justice system.
Sociological Dimensions of the FCP Method according to Christian Psychotherapy in Coping with Stress and Suffering
Authors: Ilievski Naum , Ilievska Angelina
Published: October 2017

The concept of the Five Control Points, FCP (systematized by the author), is a contemporary approach used in Christian Psychotherapy that arises from a specific personal and spiritual experience under the supervision of a spiritual father—psychotherapist. It enables productive and meaningful overcoming of stress, as well as of the process of suffering, on a personal and wider social level, developing an adaptive social response and effective functioning. This is a descriptive study of the applied FCP method. It consists of five control points based on the Christian spiritual practice (acceptance, thanksgiving, self-discernment, quiescence and prayer). In the classical approaches, dealing with stress occurs on a psychological level by activating the psychological defence mechanisms, the most common: suppression, denial, rationalization. With FCP there is a completely opposite reaction. The intrapsychic process and its dynamics shift in the domain of the spiritual self with phenomenon of positive transformation (metanoia). The FCP method stimulates a creative process of overcoming stress and suffering as a purposeful and useful integrated experience that enhances the capacity of existence by enabling further and continuous personal growth and development. The person maturing through this process is the unifying axis, the peacemaker and the pointer to the positive developmental direction in the family unit, the environment and the society as a wider context. The positive social impact of the concept can be observed by comparing the usual human behaviour and the behaviour of a person trained through the FCP method.
A Study of the Mental Wellbeing of Imprisoned Women in Iran
Authors: Khademi Jalal , Björkqvist Kaj , Österman Karin
Published: October 2017

The study investigates the mental well-being of 35 women prisoners (mean age = 28.7, SD = 7.6) who all had received the capital punishment, in the Gorgan jail, northeastern Iran. Most of them had received their sentence for killing their husband. A control sample of 35 women of the same age from Gorgan was included. The respondents filled in a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. The imprisoned women scored higher than the controls on aggression, anxiety, and hostility; the controls scored higher than the imprisoned women on social support and emotional self-efficacy. The imprisoned women had, to a greater extent than the controls, a family history with addiction problems and suicidality.
Effectiveness of Narrative Persuasion on Facebook: Change of Attitude and Intention towards HPV
Authors: Cuesta Ubaldo , Martínez Luz , Cuesta Victoria
Published: October 2017

Information, detection and prevention are very important factors in sexually transmitted diseases such as human papillomavirus, which is linked to cervical cancer and other cancers (WHO, 2015). This paper aims to demonstrate empirically whether the use of narrative in new media, such as Facebook, produces a greater impact on attitudes and intention in sex education issues, such as human papillomavirus, than the same information presented in non-narrative. Also, the role of the viewer’s involvement in this persuasive effect is analysed. A group of young university students was tested before and after viewing a Facebook profile on HPV in a narrative vs non-narrative format. The narrative proved to be more effective than the non-narrative, provoking a more positive attitude towards periodic medical checkups and towards the intention of being tested for HPV. Additionally, narrative transportation proved to have a direct effect on attitude, while involvement with both the story and the character play a moderating role on intention. In conclusion, this paper demonstrates that structured narrative format in Facebook is an effective tool in the field of health education and prevention of HPV, which could also play a role in preventing cervical cancer.
Rethinking the Dworkinian Forward-Looking Approach: is Affirmative Action Compatible with Fairness?
Authors: Yu Chong Ho , Cheung Kwok Tung
Published: October 2017

Whether Affirmative Action is a proper way to accomplish social justice in terms of fairness has been an ongoing debate in the United States. Late philosopher Ronald Dworkin was a vocal supporter of Category 4 Affirmative Action, in which preferential treatments for minorities is justified. Dworkin emphasized a forward-looking approach as a means to achieve social justice and overall fairness. In his view, it is not sufficient for black applicants to enjoy preferential treatment now just because in the past their ancestors suffered due to slavery. Rather, a successful argument for affirmative action programs must include a forward-looking justification. To be specific, this policy promises a better educational environment in terms of diversity and promotes a less racially conscious society for all citizens. Additionally, Dworkin often cited the study entitled The Shape of the River to substantiate his claim that special treatment for minorities could amend social injustice and produce fairer outcomes. This article attempts to evaluate this Dworkinian theory on both the principle and practical levels. It concluded that while a neutral or non-interventional policy is insufficient to achieve racial equality, interventions in terms of special treatments and soft quotas are not yet shown to be fair in practice.
Gender Justice Discourse in the Educational System of Afghanistan during the Democracy Period (2001 – 2015)
Authors: Sokhanwar Davood , Kabul Ibn-e-Sina University
Published: October 2017

This study seeks to examine Afghan women’s access to education (gender justice) in the wake of September 11 amid developments and efforts made to establish democracy in this country in the years between 2001 and 2014. Using discourse analysis, this research aims to extract one nodal point and several floating signifiers to explore a semantic system of gender justice, albeit by making use of examples taken from the educational system during the mentioned period. The data collected in this research are extracted from texts concerning the role of women in education in Afghanistan in the mentioned period. Its importance in terms understanding the intellectual and political atmosphere of the mentioned political system especially in respect of women’s access to their educational rights is brought to light. This study concludes that the gender equality index is satisfactory to a great deal in the present government as compared to the period of Taliban in which the index was lowest in the world. However, the present government has not achieved success as much as it was expected because gender justice discourse has not become hegemonic in Afghanistan. The reason for the unsuccessfulness of the discourse lies in the elements that make the discourse hegemonic. Because elements could not play their effective role, this discourse did not become hegemonic.
Analogical Rationality in Social Sciences
Authors: Rengifo-Castañeda Carlos-Adolfo
Published: October 2017

This research article proposes a conception of analogical rationality, which operates in the social sciences as well as in the natural sciences, according to "epistemic, ontological and pragmatic" conditions. According to this, in this paper it is intended: First, to account for analogical rationality according to epistemic, ontological and pragmatic conditions, contrasting with this, the classical conception of rationality. And second, on the basis of the above, to enable by analogical rationality a status of scientificity for the social sciences by justifying rational beliefs and decisions, according to this tripartite condition
Learning Experiences in Higher and Further Education- An Innovative Socialentrepreneurship Project in a Public Mexican University
Authors: Betancourt Ignacio Ortiz , Meza Téllez María del Carmen , Castro Leidy Margarita López , Carrasco Jorge Samuel Berdón
Published: October 2017

This innovative educational project is the result of the work of a group of academics, who met the challenges of the 21st century, added their specific visions and made contact with transdisciplinarity and the formation of a significant formation in their students of the Educational Administration Program with learning orientated to the transfer, that is to say new fields of application (Campirán et al, 2005); this transit was possible through the metacognition resulting from the synergy found at the Universidad Veracruzana (Mexico) and the HEC University Montreal (Canada) to generate spaces that transcend the classrooms and thus express this vision that would allow to refocus and redirect their educational goals (Campirán et al, 2005). Internationalization of social entrepreneurship is part of an educational bonding project led by the academic group CA-UV-367 “Entrepreneurship, Management and Internalization” from which academics articulate formally the critical and complex exercise for an object-relation of learning of different visions: academic formation (curricular design); accommodation (spiral organization); development of visions based on competencies (Campirán, 1999, in Morado, 1999) and integrative concepts (Campirán et al, 2005). The results obtained from the exercise and the use of the transdisciplinary vision approach greatly enriched the units of competence and the curricular contents of educational experiences: Strategic and economic planning over time promoted and strengthened in students their comprehensive and flexible training in addition to enhancing their resources and academic capabilities by projecting themselves as members of a global community.
Artists as Inviting Personalities for Self-Exploration and Social Learning at School
Authors: Ioannidou Martha
Published: October 2017

In today’s increasingly fast-paced societies, undergoing reformation in the aging schooling systems in order to prepare children to subdue the high amounts of pressure and stress and lead productive lives seems to be moving slowly, compared to the unexpected rhythms of the socio-economic changes. In that context a programme has been created at the School of Primary Education, based on the belief that art shouldn’t rest only in the frame, but become itself a frame of the children’s experiences, a means for self-exploration, enhancing at the same time social learning and cultural responsiveness in schools. At current stage we explore whether and how artists as inviting personalities can become an example to children for building their own identity, while opening widely the borders of relating effectively to others or to life’s varied phenomena, as they learn how to communicate the subtleties of who they really are and what they believe in ways that words usually fail to fully capture. Children are asked to choose as a self-companion through their school year an artist, who greatly benefited from the arts’ unique power as a tool for shedding light on his/her self-knowledge and for overcoming difficulties as well as a means of fostering meaningful connections with his/her social and cultural environment. Curricular goals and learning units are approached by adapting innovative and effective teaching practices through the arts, based on the life and work of the artists children have chosen.
Atores e conteúdos da negociação coletiva: o caso da Autoeuropa
Authors: Almeida António José de , Cordeiro João Pedro , Fernandes Paulo
Published: October 2017

A representação e a negociação coletiva em Portugal têm sido atravessadas por um conjunto de bloqueios expressos na crise da representatividade sindical e na ineficiência dos instrumentos de regulamentação coletiva de trabalho. Esta crise, fruto das transformações que têm ocorrido no mundo do trabalho, remete para a crescente individualização das relações, para a proliferação de formas atípicas de emprego, que vulnerabilizam os trabalhadores nelas envolvidos, e para a capacidade crescente das empresas em imporem unilateralmente as condições contratuais em consequência, entre outros fatores, do fim da era do pleno emprego. Esta situação tem vindo a reduzir a margem de manobra dos sindicatos de relações laborais. É neste contexto que, a partir de um estudo de caso, nos propomos dar conta dos resultados preliminares de um projeto de investigação em curso no qual procedemos à análise de conteúdo dos acordos celebrados ao longo de uma década entre a Autoeuropa e sua Comissão de Trabalhadores. Os resultados obtidos apontam para a crescente consagração de instrumentos de flexibilidade na gestão do tempo de trabalho por parte da empresa tendo em vista a sua adaptação às variações da procura e aos ciclos de vida dos produtos.
Relação entre responsabilidade social percebida e satisfação no trabalho: o papel mediador da imagem organizacional
Authors: Duarte Ana Patrícia , Neves José Gonçalves das
Published: October 2017

Pretendeu-se com esta pesquisa perceber em que medida a satisfação dos colaboradores no trabalho se encontra associada às perceções que estes detêm do envolvimento da organização em práticas de responsabilidade social das organizações (RSO). Procurou-se também perceber em que medida a imagem que os colaboradores detêm da organização ajuda a explicar a relação anterior. O pressuposto é o de que o envolvimento em práticas de RSO fomenta uma imagem organizacional favorável, estando esta depois associada a níveis mais elevados de satisfação no trabalho. Inquiriram-se 301 colaboradores de uma organização industrial, avaliando-se a perceção do envolvimento desta em três dimensões de RSO (económica, colaboradores e comunidade/ambiente), imagem organizacional e nível de satisfação no trabalho. Os resultados mostram que, tal como previsto, a perceção que os colaboradores detêm do envolvimento da organização em cada uma das dimensões de RSO se encontra positivamente associada aos seus níveis de satisfação no trabalho. A relação da perceção do envolvimento em práticas das dimensões comunidade/ambiente e económica com a satisfação é explicada pela imagem que os colaboradores têm da organização. Face aos resultados obtidos, conclui-se que o desenvolvimento de práticas RSO pelas organizações ajuda a promover o desenvolvimento de uma imagem favorável junto dos seus colaboradores, com consequências positivas sobre a satisfação dos mesmos. As organizações interessadas em promover a satisfação no trabalho poderão fazê-lo, nomeadamente através da implementação de práticas de GRH sustentáveis e promotoras da qualidade de vida, assim como de práticas de responsabilidade externa que facilitem o desenvolvimento de uma imagem favorável.
Gestão de competências/gestão de desempenho
Authors: Nunes Maria do Céu Diogo , Marques Ilda Maria , Andrade Áurea
Published: October 2017

A sociedade contemporânea está a atravessar um período de grandes transformações sociais, económicas, políticas e culturais, que resultam num processo de reestruturação produtiva. Nas organizações, o impacto dessa reestruturação materializa-se por intermédio de processos de racionalização organizacional e técnica. A intensa e crescente competição a nível mundial traz como consequência o desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias e modelos de gestão ao ambiente organizacional. Neste contexto, é possível visualizar a gestão de competências e a gestão de desempenho como novos instrumentos, voltados para oferecer alternativas eficientes de gestão às organizações. Mas até que ponto esses instrumentos representam tecnologias de gestão distintas? Por gestão de competências entende-se, a forma como a organização planeia, organiza, desenvolve, acompanha e avalia as competências necessárias à organização do trabalho. A gestão de desempenho apresenta-se como um mecanismo que, aliado a outras tecnologias de gestão, permite à organização administrar estrategicamente Recursos Humanos (Guimarães, 1998). Procura-se, neste trabalho, discutir as principais características da gestão de competências e da gestão de desempenho, bem como identificar as principais semelhanças e diferenças entre estes instrumentos. Pretende-se, dessa forma, contribuir para o debate/reflexão teórico em torno do tema. Em síntese, mais do que tecnologias independentes ou distintas, a gestão de competências e a gestão de desempenho parecem complementar-se num contexto mais amplo de gestão organizacional.
O novo papel da gestão dos recursos humanos: a relação da força da gestão dos recursos humanos com uma estratégia baseada na improvisação
Authors: Coelho Joaquim Pinto , Ribeiro T. R. , Gomes Jorge F. S.
Published: October 2017

Ao longo dos últimos vinte anos, devido às forças das envolventes internas e externas, a Gestão dos Recursos Humanos (GRH) deixou de atuar nas áreas exclusivamente funcionais, para se tornar num parceiro estratégico em termos organizacionais. Autores como Becker & Sheehan, (2005) defendem a necessidade de um constante alinhamento horizontal, entre as práticas de GRH, e vertical, entre as práticas de GRH e a estratégia organizacional, para se atingir uma boa performance, Acreditamos que através de conceitos como a Força da Gestão de Recursos Humanos - FGRH (Bowen & Ostroff, 2004), a Força da Situação (Michael, 1973), sendo esta traduzida em Climas Fortes (Schneider et al., 2002) e Culturas Fortes (Schein, 1981) e uma Estratégia baseada na Improvisação (Kamoche & Cunha, 2001; Weick, 1995, Hatch, 1999) é possível garantir este duplo alinhamento. Dentro deste contexto, o objetivo deste estudo correlacional é o de contribuir para a compreensão da relação entre a GRH e a estratégia organizacional, num call center de um Grupo Empresarial Português a operar no mercado das telecomunicações. Para tal foi concebido um modelo de investigação tendo como intuito aferir de que modo a FGRH influência a improvisação, tendo como mediadores o clima e cultura, ou seja, a força da situação. As hipóteses analisadas pelo método quantitativo, através dos modelos de equações estruturais, indicaram uma relação significativa entre a FGRH e a improvisação, tendo como mediador a cultura organizacional.
Políticas e práticas de formação nas empresas: principais constrangimentos
Authors: Vicente Teresa , Monteiro Andreia , Santos Marta
Published: October 2017

Atualmente, a Gestão de Recursos Humanos refere necessidades distintas face à prática de formação profissional contínua em meio empresarial. Se por um lado existe a necessidade de assegurar um aumento significativo de indivíduos com acesso à formação nas várias fases da vida, também menciona a necessidade de assegurar a relevância e a qualidade do investimento na formação, concentrando os recursos nas formações mais críticas à adaptabilidade dos trabalhadores e à competitividade e necessidades das empresas. Neste sentido, na tentativa de melhor compreender as práticas vigentes de formação profissional contínua em contexto organizacional, foram efetuados dois estudos de caso que permitem descrever essas práticas, desde o momento da sua conceção até à avaliação da sua eficácia, tendo em conta os constrangimentos existentes no meio empresarial, determinantes na definição e execução das políticas de formação em articulação com a manutenção de outros projetos existentes na empresa (como a certificação da qualidade, por exemplo). Os principais resultados apontam para um interesse particular em responder às exigências específicas deste meio, principalmente no que diz respeito ao cumprimento das políticas e dos procedimentos de formação instituídos, verificando-se que nos Departamentos de Recursos Humanos as preocupações com a formação acabavam por se centrar mais na necessidade de cumprir as normas/requisitos que garantem os projetos valorizados pela empresa e não tanto a reflexão sobre a correspondência entre as necessidades formativas e o impacto que uma determinada ação de formação acabou por ter.
A gestão de pessoas nas organizações sem fins lucrativos: estudo piloto nos concelhos de Póvoa de Varzim e Vila do Conde
Authors: Vaz Ester
Published: October 2017

As organizações sem fins lucrativos têm vindo a reconfigurar-se para uma gestão de qualidade que perfilha a proximidade dos serviços às reais necessidades das pessoas a quem se dirigem. Às suas potencialidades é acrescida a responsabilidade, atribuída nas últimas décadas, de suportar as orientações das políticas públicas. A sua elegibilidade no campo do desenvolvimento social, na concretização de políticas sociais, tornou pertinente um estudo que mostre o modelo de gestão que estas organizações prosseguem. Neste estudo procuramos conhecer o perfil das competências dos gestores das organizações sem fins lucrativos que desempenham esta função, tradicionalmente, em regime de voluntariado. O conhecimento empírico diz-nos que a este tipo de gestão associam-se pessoas cujas formações académicas e profissionais são diversificadas. Coloca-se a questão de saber se a formação académica em gestão de recursos humanos é determinante no sucesso destas organizações.
Does HRM really matter? Strength of HRM systems from a managerial perspective
Authors: Gomes Jorge F. S. , Bentes Luísa C. , Correia Anabela Gomes
Published: October 2017

Mischel in 1973 proposed that the impact of situations on people’s interpretation of events depends on the strength of the situation itself. For example, strong situations lead all persons to construe the particular events the same way and induce uniform expectancies regarding the most appropriate response pattern. Conversely, individual differences can determine behaviour in a weak situation (one which is ambiguously structured), since people have no clear expectations about the behaviours most likely to be appropriate. In sum, situational strength deals with the extent to which a situation induces conformity – a strong situation – or is interpreted as ambiguous – a weak situation. Bowen and Ostroff (2004) brought these ideas to the HRM arena, proposing that in strong psychological situations people share interpretations of particular events, therefore behaving in a uniform and consistent way, and showing a similar orientation towards goals and desired standards of performance. In weak situations people rely on their inner states in order to behave, and therefore it is likely that they exhibit more differences in terms of what is acceptable and efficient organisational behaviour. The authors propose the concept of strong HRM systems, to define how powerful is the HRM System in communicating with employees. Based on interviews to 10 HRM senior managers, we delved into the attributes which make a HRM System (defined as an integrated set of HRM practices) strong (or weak). We compared these qualitative data with the theoretical propositions of Bowen and Ostroff, and offer some insights regarding each of the nine attributes put forward by the authors.
Utilização das metodologias Lean e Six Sigma na otimização do processo de Recrutamento e Seleção
Authors: Marques Maurício
Published: October 2017

A captação de talentos em quantidade e qualidade suficientes para fazer face aos desafios das organizações é a base de uma organização de excelência, devido ao seu elevado impacto na satisfação do cliente interno, na transferência do know-how na organização e na capacidade de resposta da mesma, devendo por isso o aprovisionamento de Recursos Humanos estar assente num processo de excelência. Com este objetivo, analisam-se duas filosofias utilizadas em organizações de excelência para aumentar a eficiência dos processos, eliminar problemas de qualidade e aumentar a satisfação do cliente – o Six Sigma, com origem na Motorola e o Lean Manufacturing criado pela Toyota. Apesar de serem normalmente empregues com vista à melhoria contínua e otimização de processos da área industrial, é abordada a sua aplicabilidade e das suas ferramentas na otimização do processo de Recrutamento e Seleção de uma Empresa Industrial, revelando-se úteis na redução do tempo de resposta e na eliminação da probabilidade de ocorrência de erros.