bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mental health improvement in Scotland: supporting evidence into and from practice
Authors: Hogg Emma
Published: August 2011

This article briefly outlines some of the debates and discussions currently taking place in public health with regards to what ‘counts’ as evidence, as well as evidence use. This provides the context for describing a new programme of work currently being developed in Scotland by the national health improvement agency, as one of several support functions for the implementation of the Scottish Executive National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well‐Being. This programme of work is aiming to support evidence into practice and practice into evidence in mental health improvement in Scotland.
Promoting mental well‐being in Greenwich — a strategic approach
Authors: Murray‐Mohammed Carol‐Ann , Guite Hilary
Published: August 2011

This article outlines the mental health promotion strategy developed by Greenwich teaching Primary Care Trust (tPCT). The strategy focuses on four themes: isolation, anxiety and depression, sleep, and stigma and discrimination. The aim is to address mental health promotion for all as well as targeted action for higher risk groups, in recognition of the great contrasts, diversity and significant economic inequalities that characterise the borough. A key challenge has been to integrate mental health promotion with wider agendas and it is intended that the strategy will inform other important areas of work in the borough, such as the neighbourhood renewal and health benefits regeneration programmes.
The London‐wide Public Health Mental Health Network
Authors: Guite Hilary , Scarlett Jane , Hughes Gemma
Published: August 2011

Public health mental health is an emerging field with significant potential for contributing to improved public health. However there is a notable gap in support for people working in this field and limited opportunities to influence the public health agenda at a strategic or policy level. This article describes how the London‐wide public health mental health network provides a regional forum for members to share information, develop measures, databases and protocols, and support professional development. It is hoped that other such regional networks will be established, as well as sector groups at local level.
A comparison of lifestyle behaviour and health perceptions of people with severe mental illness and the general population
Authors: Crone Diane , Heaney Linda , Herbert Rhiannon , Morgan Jennifer , Johnston Lynne , Macpherson Rob
Published: August 2011

People with long‐term mental health problems have a considerably higher risk of physical illness and premature mortality than the general population. This paper describes a survey of lifestyle behaviours and health perceptions of people with severe mental illness (SMI) living in Gloucester. Findings were compared with data from the general population of Gloucestershire to reveal significant health differences that are currently being addressed through a multi‐agency health alliance established to initiate targeted health promoting opportunities for people with severe mental illness in the community.
Interpersonal relationships and the origins of mental health
Authors: Stewart‐Brown Sarah
Published: August 2011

This paper reviews current evidence of the significance of interpersonal relationships ‐ at community, workplace, school and family levels ‐ in influencing mental health and well‐being. It argues that the parent‐child relationship is of pre‐eminent importance both because of its direct effect on future mental health and because it sets the scene for future relationships. It also argues that, because of the reciprocal nature of the relationships, the mental health of society can be improved by improving the mental health of any of its individual members. From this it follows that to focus mental health promotion programmes entirely on the most vulnerable limits the potential for improvement, because working with people who are not mentally ill will increase their ability to support those who are. Universal mental health promotion programmes should therefore have relationships ‐ and parent‐child relationships in particular ‐ at their heart, aiming to improve everyone's capacity to relate supportively and respectfully to others.
Choosing mental health: a response to the government white paper
Authors: Friedli Lynne , McCulloch Andrew
Published: August 2011

Choosing Health is the first government public health white paper since Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation, published in 1999. It aims to make the NHS ‘a health service, not a sickness service,’ and is strongly influenced by the Wanless reports. This paper presents a critical review of the main elements of the white paper that relate to mental health, and sets out the actions that policy makers and service delivery organisations need to take to build genuinely mental health promoting public services within a mentally healthy society.
The pharmacogenomics of depression: mapping the social and ethical impact
Authors: Barr Michael , Singh Ilina , Rose Nikolas
Published: August 2011

Depressive disorders are a focus of growing social and economic concern. While antidepressant medications are widely accepted, they are ineffective for nearly 40% of users, and cause numerous adverse drug reactions. The pharmacogenomics of depression attempts to better understand the role of genetic variation in antidepressant metabolism in the hope of improving drug efficacy and tolerability. However, the development and delivery of genome‐based antidepressants face many hurdles. In this paper we provide an overview of the potential impact of the pharmacogenomics of depression on public mental health care by focusing on the social and ethical issues at stake. These include questions about genetic testing, informed consent, drug access, and market fragmentation. We end the paper with a brief discussion of the wider context and how the pharmacogenomics of depression relates to broader trends in psychiatry and biomedicine.
Antipsychiatric activism and feminism: the use of film and text to question biomedicine
Authors: Wiener Diane
Published: August 2011

This article examines the relationships between antipsychiatric activism and feminism, paying particular attention to the civil liberties of mental health consumer/survivor/expatient (c/s/x) individuals in relation to mental health practices. It argues that a continually rigorous exploration of the complex (and at times uneasy) relationships between antipsychiatric activism, feminism and mental health practice is necessary and useful for pursuing social justice by working toward the diminishment of mental health inequalities. The article includes an overview of the ‘spectrum’ of antipsychiatric stances and a review of some of the literature covering the relationship between antipsychiatry and feminism, and uses cinematic and literary examples to highlight the complexity of addressing issues like medication ‘compliance’ and ‘non‐compliance’ among mental health users and consumers in biomedical contexts.
Designing urban space for psychological comfort: the Kentish Town Road project
Authors: Dillon Ruth
Published: August 2011

The tendency of urban environments to produce anxiety is well documented in a range of theoretical and historical literature, but there is little current work that considers how public spaces might be designed to alleviate anxiety among their users. This paper presents a series of case studies taken from a lighting design project on the Kentish Town Road in north London to show how urban design can create a more psychologically inclusive public realm — one that offers greater psychological comfort — by enhancing the engagement between users of urban spaces and their environment. The argument is presented in the context of broader issues of social inclusion and other current movements in urban design.
Co‐designing for communications and services in the healthcare environment
Authors: Szebeko Deborah
Published: August 2011

Graphic design — the accessible visual presentation of information and materials — has an invaluable role in communicating health messages that has yet to be fully appreciated by the NHS, asserts Deborah Szebeko. In this article she describes two health‐related projects where design for communication has played a central role: a community development project to promote healthy eating in an area of high deprivation, and a web‐based system for patients to map their emotional journeys alongside their care pathways and contribute feedback that can be used to improve service planning and delivery.
Stakeholder involvement: a challenge for intergovernmental organisations
Authors: Hayward Robert , Cutler Paul
Published: August 2011

There is growing evidence that mental health policy is failing. One reason for this may be that the top‐down approach of governments and transnational agencies is unable to engage the grassroots successfully: in particular, users and ex‐users of mental health services. Failure to work in partnership with the grassroots begets policy failure when translated to the local level. Robert Hayward and Paul Cutler explain why international bodies like the UN, the international development banks and the World Health Organization (WHO) have been hugely influential but not necessarily successful in achieving improved outcomes for disadvantaged people, notably in countries in transition.
Establishing national mental health and well‐being indicators for Scotland
Authors: Parkinson Jane
Published: August 2011

The growing interest in the mental health and well‐being of populations raises questions about traditional measures of public mental health, which have largely focused on levels of psychiatric morbidity. This paper describes work in progress to identify a set of national mental health and well‐being indicators for Scotland that could be used to establish a summary mental health profile, as a starting point for monitoring future trends. The process in taking this work forward involves identifying a desirable set of indicators, scoping the data that are currently collected nationally in Scotland, identifying additional data needs, and ensuring existing data collection systems include mental health and well‐being. It is expected that an indicator set for adults will have been identified by 2007. The paper presents some of the conceptual and practical challenges involved in defining and measuring positive mental health and is presented here as a contribution to ongoing debates in this field.
From a diagnostic‐therapeutic to a social‐existential response to ‘depression’
Authors: Pilgrim David , Dowrick Christopher
Published: August 2011

This paper provides a critique of the current diagnostic and therapeutic orthodoxy in relation to the concept of depression. It argues that there are substantial problems with the conceptual validity of the diagnosis, and that both empirical and moral objections can be raised to the current preference for a therapeutic response. It makes the case for an alternative that conceptualises misery, distress and sadness as existential states arising in particular social and biographical contexts. Its central argument is that the varieties of determinism that underpin the diagnostic and therapeutic discourse obscure important aspects of human agency and diminish options for its expression in the life world of the people receiving the diagnosis of ‘depression’. On this basis the focus of interest for health workers becomes the ability, working with patients, to discover dignity, meaning and purpose in the midst of suffering and distress.
When equality is not really equal: affirmative action and consumer participation
Authors: Happell Brenda , Roper Cath
Published: August 2011

Consumer participation in mental health service planning and delivery is now authorised through Australian government policy. While strategies have been implemented to foster opportunities for participation, they have rarely been evaluated for their effectiveness. Furthermore, the inadequacy of these strategies to support policy implementation has been criticised in the literature and identified as a major obstacle to genuine and effective consumer participation in mental health care. This paper argues that there is an urgent need for affirmative action in order to overcome the current and historical discrimination that prevents consumers from active participation.
The provision of psychotherapy: an international comparison
Authors: Priebe Stefan , Wright Donna
Published: August 2011

There has been a recent initiative in England to establish a wider provision of psychotherapy. Studying the models of psychological treatment and experiences in other countries may enable policy makers in England to learn lessons and avoid pitfalls. This paper assesses and compares the provision of psychotherapy for adults in a selected number of European and non‐European countries. A structured list of psychotherapy features was used to collect information from each country on the number of psychotherapists, professional qualifications, the settings and models of psychotherapy, the referral procedures, funding arrangements, quality management and outcome assessments. These data were then compared in a non‐systematic way. Comparison of levels of provision was the most difficult to establish, but the findings suggest that psychotherapy that is broadly free at the point of entry is more widely available in other EU countries than in England. They also show that the plans currently being discussed for a psychotherapy service in England differ from those provided in most of the other countries in this study. The differences include the lack of statutory accreditation rules and lower qualification thresholds for psychotherapists, the concept of treatment centres, the low number of sessions, and the regular assessment of outcome data. Therefore, based on this comparison, the necessity of these features, their priority and possible alternatives may need to be considered.
Estimating treatment duration for psychotherapy in primary care
Authors: Carey Timothy
Published: August 2011

Mental health problems are increasing in society. To deal with these problems effectively, it is imperative that appropriate treatments are delivered. Some evidence suggests that patients often do not complete the full course of many psychotherapy treatments. The aim of this study was to estimate the average length of treatment for patients referred to the adult specialty of a large clinical psychology department. A stratified sampling strategy was chosen to obtain an unbiased and precise estimator of the average treatment length for the population of patients whose files had been closed in one calendar year (n = 3021). The stratified sampling mean estimator for the population mean was 3.9 appointments; standard psychotherapy treatments are often planned to be more than ten appointments. These results suggest that many patients are failing to receive the full treatment planned by mental health professionals. Perhaps more psychotherapy treatments need to be delivered in a smaller number of appointments. Stratified sampling could be used to estimate treatment duration in particular contexts, thereby allowing treatments to be designed to meet local needs.
Implementation of the JOBS programme in Ireland
Authors: Barry Margaret , Reynolds Colette , Sheridan Anne , Egenton Róisín
Published: August 2011

This paper reports on the implementation and evaluation of the JOBS programme in Ireland. This is a training intervention to promote re‐employment and improve mental health among unemployed people that was implemented on a pilot basis in the border region of the Republic and Northern Ireland. Programme participants were unemployed people recruited from local training and employment offices and health agencies. The evaluation indicated that the programme was implemented successfully and led to improved psychological and re‐employment outcomes for the intervention group, lasting up to 12 months post‐intervention. This paper reflects on the implementation issues that arose in adapting an international evidence‐based programme to the local setting and considers the implications of the evaluation findings for the roll out of the programme on a larger scale.
Depression and persistent effects on work: an ‘expert patient’ survey of 500 social workers
Authors: Caan Woody , Stanley Nicky , Manthorpe Jill
Published: August 2011

Widespread effects are reported on UK economic productivity through poorly managed depressive illness in the workplace. Starting in 1999, the authors have investigated the onset, treatment and recovery from depression as experienced personally by members of the caring professions, using first‐hand accounts to generate a composite picture of ‘what works for me’ in managing depression, and in particular ‘what works’ in maintaining or returning to employment in health and social care. This paper reports findings from a survey of 500 social workers. Negative perceptions of previous help from professional sources (such as general practitioner, psychiatrist or psychotherapist) were related specifically to three persisting, negative effects at work: lack of concentration, low confidence, and irritability (with tiredness). These occupational effects were strongly associated with each other. In relation to occupational health, inadequate treatment of depression may allow these negative effects on performance to persist. The findings are discussed in relation to conceptual frameworks about well‐being taken from ‘positive psychology’ that suggest future approaches to both prevention and rehabilitation of these occupational problems.
Improving access to stop smoking support for people with mental health problems
Authors: Edmonds Nerys , Bremner Jane
Published: August 2011

The physical health inequalities experienced by people with severe mental health problems are now well recognised. Lifestyle factors, in particular high rates of smoking, have been identified as a major contributor to the raised mortality and morbidity in this population. A programme was developed in West Surrey to address smoking cessation support needs in people with mental health problems. Mental health workers were trained to deliver stop smoking support and a pilot programme of one‐to‐one stop smoking support was established. An evaluation was conducted using semi‐structured interviews to explore clients' experiences of receiving the one‐to‐one support. Service users positively evaluated the support they had received: in particular, the needs‐led, flexible approach. The study provides further insights into the views and experiences of people with mental health problems undertaking a smoking cessation programme.
Choose Life: early experiences of implementing Scotland's suicide prevention strategy
Authors: Gordon Jacki , Stark Cameron
Published: August 2011

Scotland has developed a national suicide prevention strategy, Choose Life, as part of a wider programme of mental health promotion and mental illness prevention. This paper reports findings from a survey of Choose Life co‐ordinators, who are based in each local authority area and supported by a central team. The survey sought their views on progress, and achieved an 85% response rate. Co‐ordinators identified challenges in promoting suicide prevention in a policy‐rich environment with many competing priorities, in persuading local agencies to provide mainstream rather than project funds, and in keeping up‐to‐date with national and international research findings. The responses by the national team to these identified challenges are outlined.
A systematic review of reviews of interventions to promote mental health and prevent mental health problems in children and young people
Authors: Tennant Ruth , Goens Cristina , Barlow Jane , Day Crispin , Stewart‐Brown Sarah
Published: August 2011

There is a growing policy imperative to promote positive mental health as well as prevent the development of mental health problems in children. This paper summarises the findings of published systematic reviews evaluating such interventions. A search was undertaken of ten electronic databases using a combination of medical subject headings (MeSH) and free text searches. Systematic reviews covering mental health promotion or mental illness prevention interventions aimed at infants, children or young people up to age 19 were included. Reviews of drug and alcohol prevention programmes and programmes to prevent childhood abuse and neglect were excluded because these have been the subject of recent good quality reviews of reviews. A total of 27 systematic reviews were included. These targeted a range of risk and protective factors, and a range of populations (including parents and children). While many lacked methodological rigour, overall the evidence is strongly suggestive of the effectiveness of a range of interventions in promoting positive mental well‐being, and reducing key risk factors for mental illness in children. Based on this evidence, arguments are advanced for the preferential provision of early preventive programmes.
Building an economic case for mental health promotion: part I
Authors: Friedli Lynne , Parsonage Michael
Published: August 2011

This paper uses economic analysis to develop the case for greater investment in mental health promotion. One example of a common mental health problem for which there is robust evidence of effective interventions is conduct disorder. The paper estimates that preventing conduct disorders in those children who are most disturbed would save around £150,000 per case (lifetime costs), and that promoting positive mental health in those children with moderate mental health would yield lifetime benefits of around £75,000 per case. Investment in support for parents is therefore the top priority in a provisional list of ‘best buys’ in promoting mental health.
People and green spaces: promoting public health and mental well‐being through ecotherapy
Authors: Burls Ambra
Published: August 2011

Drawing on the author's multi‐method research on the viability of specific ecotherapy practitioner training and curriculum design, this paper debates how the use of ecotherapeutic approaches can provide a two‐pronged system to achieve both individual health (at micro level) and public and environment health outcomes (at macro level). The research sought the views of service users, practitioners and educationalists through use of interviews, focus groups, a nominal group, and an ethnographic case study group. This research raised other considerations: namely, that people seeking personal recovery also, through stewardship of green spaces, may achieve unanticipated social capital and natural capital outcomes and thereby meet current multi‐disciplinary policy targets. This added social value has not been previously considered as an important dimension in people's well‐being and recovery from ill health or social exclusion. Such outcomes emerge from the idea of green spaces becoming a ‘product’ delivered to the community by people whose pursuit of personal recovery also directly contributes to improved public mental health.
The arts, well‐being and society
Authors: Oliver James , Murray Paul
Published: August 2011

There is a long association between the arts and mental well‐being, but this can also be an area of contest and debate. In this commentary on the issues raised by the papers in this special arts and mental well‐being issue of the journal, James Oliver and Paul Murray question the attempt to impose scientific measures of outcome on arts participation, and ask if we should not, instead, regard access to opportunities for creative expression as a legal right and moral duty owing to those whom we, as a society, have excluded from the mainstream through incarceration or labelling.
STEPS: Going beyond the tip of the iceberg. A multi‐level, multipurpose approach to common mental health problems
Authors: White Jim , Joice A , Petrie S , Johnston S , Gilroy D , Hutton P , Hynes N
Published: August 2011

STEPS is a primary care mental health team that has attempted to develop a very high volume multi‐level, multi‐purpose service for those with mild to moderate problems. The service attempts to overcome many of the limitations of more traditional services. This paper describes the services contained within the six level model.
A tribute to autonomy and public mental health
Authors: Tyrer Peter
Published: August 2011

This commentary examines the autonomy‐control argument in public mental health and how services have developed over the years from prejudiced asylums, to community‐based care. Peter Tyrer discusses how people with mental ill health, who have struggled to gain independence and autonomy of their lives, are finally enjoying their emancipation.
Joint strategic needs assessment: a new approach to joint working in public services
Authors: Ward Luke , Cosford Paul
Published: August 2011

On April 2008, the new statutory duty on local authorities and primary care trusts (PCTs) to work together with their local partners to produce a joint strategic needs assessment (JSNA) came into effect. The purpose of these JSNAs is to identify the unmet health and well‐being needs and inequalities of the whole local population, and to provide a sufficiently broad joint evidence base for a locality. This enables increased joint working and co‐operation among all partners leading to improved outcomes for that population. For the first time, commissioners have the opportunity to create a ‘level playing field’ for identifying unmet mental and physical health needs within the same assessment process. This paper lays out why the structure and policy framework underpinning JSNA may offer a stronger prospect of successful implementation than its predecessors. It uses the findings of a quality assurance audit of JSNAs conducted in the east of England as a real‐world reference point.
A review of ecotherapy as an adjunct form of treatment for those who use mental health services
Authors: Wilson Neil , Ross Michael , Lafferty Kevin , Jones Russell
Published: August 2011

The concept of utilising greenspace to promote and maintain mental health predates the development of almost all current treatment modalities. Although the use of greenspace as a therapeutic tool decreased throughout the 20th century, research in this area has grown exponentially over the last 20 years. This review examines the theory and increasing evidence base behind the psychological, social and physical health benefits of viewing and interacting with greenspace, and considers some of the common methodological limitations within the literature.Those who use secondary and tertiary care mental health services typically experience secondary problems due to reduced levels of social and physical activity. This review argues that the holistic benefits of greenspace make ecotherapy particularly appropriate for such a population. The review recommends that the effects of ecotherapy on those who use secondary and tertiary mental health care services be explored as part of an effort to redress the absence in the literature of quality studies in this area for this population.
The relationship between communication and behaviour in children: a case for public mental health?
Authors: Law James , Elliott Lawrie
Published: August 2011

This paper examines the overlap between two groups of children, those with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). The case is made that these are common and overlap, with serious consequences for the children and families concerned. The difficulties experienced by the children and their families have implications for health inequalities and should influence the way in which both child and adolescent mental health and public health services are conceptualised and delivered.
Survey of alcohol sales from fuel outlets in Britain
Authors: Luty Jason , El Hindy Nasser , Rajagopal Arokiadass Sujaa
Published: August 2011

Many countries have banned sales of alcoholic drinks from retail motor fuel outlets (known as petrol stations in the UK). This survey aims to determine what proportion of retail fuel outlets also sell alcoholic drinks in England and Wales. A cluster randomised telephone survey based on listings in a national online telephone directory was used to collect the data. Contact was made with 779 out of 1,012 outlets (a 77% response rate) in 20 areas in Britain, of which 241 (31%) sold alcoholic drinks as well as fuel. The findings from the survey reveal that the sale of alcohol at fuel outlets is common and may encourage drink driving.
Demonstrating the well‐being benefits of a weight loss programme for people with a learning disability
Authors: Griffin Murray
Published: August 2011

Little is known about the health, well‐being and social interaction benefits of physical activity in adults with a learning disability. This is probably due to the methodological barriers to research and the problem of gaining informed consent from the participants. This paper describes a feasibility study, where six adults with learning disabilities regularly attended a weight management and fitness session. An observation methodology was tested to see if it was possible to gather quantitative evidence on well‐being and social interaction during participation in the sessions. Issues about veridicality, consent, validity and controls are discussed.
Developing an accessible and effective public mental health programme for members of the general public
Authors: Tinning Lucy , Harman Kate , Lee Rachel , Brown June
Published: August 2011

Promoting mental health and meeting the needs of the large numbers of the general public with problems of anxiety and depression is a big challenge. Particular difficulties are the low capacity of the therapy services and the reluctance of the general public to seek help. The aim of this study was to compare the attendance, effectiveness and characteristics of participants self‐referring to six different psycho‐educational workshops, each using non‐diagnostic titles: self‐confidence; stress; sleep; relationships; happiness; and anger. The series of day‐long workshops ran for one year and were offered to members of the general public in south east London. Over a quarter had not previously sought help from their GP. The take‐up rates for the self‐confidence, sleep and anger workshops were highest and one month after attending these workshops, participants reported significantly lower depression and distress. It was concluded that a self‐referral route to some day‐long workshops can attract quite large numbers of the general public and provide access to effective psychological treatment. These workshops can be used as an effective way of promoting mental health and improving the provision of evidence‐based mental health treatment in the community, possibly within the Improving Access to Psychological Treatments (IAPT) programme in the UK.
Public mental health case study: learning (and teaching) from personal experience
Authors: Eyre Anne
Published: August 2011

On 15 April 1989, Anne Eyre went to Sheffield to watch Liverpool contest an FA Cup semi‐final with Nottingham Forest. She was caught in a crush in which 96 people were killed. Although physically unhurt, she was traumatised by the event. Learning to ‘tell the story’ played an important part in her recovery. She now teaches others to understand and manage the traumatic impact of large‐scale disaster. Here, she tells the story of her recovery and subsequent work as an educator.
“I, Robot”: has the modern workplace lost its soul?
Authors: Gilbert Peter
Published: August 2011

Purpose

In the context of the current financial crisis, this paper aims to examine values and spirituality in the modern workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

Using contemporary examples and examining recent literature on spirituality and loneliness, the paper considers the concept of loneliness and argues that this may stem from an over‐preoccupation with the workplace and employment‐based achievement, at the expense of having rounded lives as human beings.

Findings

It is demonstrated that, over the last decade at least, the levels of stress in life and work have risen noticeably. In this context, leaders need even more to be forgers of a sense of meaning and purpose in the workplace and engage the hearts and minds of staff towards improved outcomes.

Originality/value

The current financial crisis is also a major spiritual crisis. Now there seems to be a growing gap between leaders and the led, and an increase in what the author terms “soul‐less leadership”, which fails to engage and motivate and inspire. The author calls on leaders in this crisis of capitalism to work and engage with staff in health and social care, so that those serving at the frontline feel‐valued and supported, developed and engaged in a common purpose.
The Belief in Change Programme: leading offenders to a better life
Authors: Bird Liz
Published: August 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to explore recent approaches to reducing reoffending and to describe a new intervention, The Belief in Change Programme, which proposes an holistic approach to working with offenders.

Design/methodology/approach

Some background on the recent UK government policies and research on reducing offending is given. The Belief in Change Programme is explored in this context.

Findings

The Belief in Change Programme highlights the importance of changing the offender's view of life, cognitive skills, access to resources and the perspective of communities to which they return. It encourages offenders to take responsibility to create a vision for the future and be leaders in their own journey of change; but, it also calls on communities to inspire, support and participate in this process.

Originality/value

Leadership is an important dimension of The Belief in Change Programme as some of the methods mirror those used in organisational development. Offenders can also be important leaders of each other by inspiring through role modeling, directing, coaching and mentoring those in earlier stages of the change journey. To ensure the reintegration and successful change of offenders, the wider community would benefit from inspirational leadership to create a revised vision for the rehabilitation and the vital part in which we all play.
Leadership reflection: leading myself to lead others
Authors: Anderson Ellen
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide the viewpoint of a visually impaired student social worker.

Design/methodology/approach

The author provides some reflections on leadership.

Findings

Blind from birth, the author was educated at a Residential School for the Blind in Worcestershire and currently resides in North Staffordshire with her husband and six children. Following the birth of her sixth child, Ellen embarked on her ambition to pursue a career in Social Work enrolling at Staffordshire University in 2008.

Originality/value

The author provides a unique viewpoint and both personal and professional reflections on the act of leadership.
Stephen Bubb, Chief Executive of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (acevo)
Authors: Deakin Catherine
Published: August 2011

Renowned as a consummate networker who ‘stalks the corridors of power’ Stephen Bubb's work on leadership, sector funding and public service reform has radically shifted attitudes and policies in both government and the third sector. Born and brought up in Kent, he read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Christ Church, Oxford. He lives in the London borough of Lambeth and in Charlbury in the Cotswolds. He has been a Youth Court Magistrate, Councillor, Health Authority Member, Open University Tutor, Non‐Executive Director in the private sector, Chair of an orchestra and Founder of a charity. He is an Independent Assessor for government appointments and a member of the Honours Advisory Committee.Stephen has been in major national roles in the TGWU, NUT and the AMA (Association of Metropolitan Authorities) and was a Founding Director of the National Lottery Charities Board. He was recently appointed Chair of Adventure Capital Fund. In 2007 he became Secretary General of EUCLID, the European Third Sector Leaders Network. He is much in demand as a speaker and media commentator both in the UK and abroad, where he advocates a radical role for the country's third sector.
Understanding the Culturally Diverse in Psychiatry Rather than Being Culturally Competent – a Preliminary Report of Swedish Psychiatric Teams' Views on Transcultural Competence
Authors: Shahnavaz Shervin , Ekblad Solvig
Published: August 2011

While the literature contains plenty of theoretical models for cultural competence training of health care staff, the personnel and clinicians have seldom been asked for their views on transcultural competence. Focus group interviews that we carried out in this study showed that the main concern of the participants (interprofessional teams in Swedish psychiatry) is to understand the culturally diverse in psychiatry, rather than being culturally competent. Three major themes of the process of understanding emerged in our analyses: (1) diversity reflection (sub‐themes: reflecting on co‐existent cultural differences and similarities, moving from a one‐dimensional to a multi‐dimensional approach to cultural diversity and self‐reflection), (2) cultural knowledge and skill acquisition (generic and specific) and (3) communication (sources, discrimination). Listening to staff's learning needs may motivate greater sensitivity to the needs of their culturally diverse patients.
Typology of the Chinese exporter
Authors: Chen Xi , Hu Zuohao , Sun Xuanzhong , Zhao Ping
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the typology of Chinese indigenous exporters by incorporating proactive‐reactive and long‐ and short‐term export motivations as inputs. This study also seeks to find out whether, when driven with a different strength of four export motives, firms differ significantly in terms of commitment, learning, competence and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employs cluster analysis to explore the typology of Chinese exporters and conducts ANOVA to compare subsequent differences in organizational characteristics, competence and performance. Case studies are then used to validate and exemplify the typology.

Findings

Findings suggest that Chinese exporters fall into four segments: the prospector, the strategist, the hesitator and the experimentalist. Each shows a unique set of organizational characteristics and different performances. The prospector is most competitive and the best performer, followed by the strategist.

Research limitations/implications

The study uses limited export motives and profiling variables to understand this in a static way. Other motives and profiling variables are welcomed, and future study can address this in a dynamic way.

Practical implications

The findings suggest an evolutionary path for exporters and implies how to strengthen proactive and long‐term motives in order to achieve superior performance.

Originality/value

This paper for the first time looks at firms that are already involved in exporting, how differently they are motivated and how their initial internationalization motivations lead to sharp differences in export performance.
Work, motivation and personal characteristics: an in‐depth study of six organizations in Ningbo
Authors: Yang Fang
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate employees' work motivation in China. It aims to give answers to two questions: what motivates employees in China? What are the effects of personal characteristics on work motivation for employees in China?

Design/methodology/approach

The study used convenience sampling to select the sample and the respondents were randomly selected from employees of six organizations, from people in the personnel market and also from people walking around in shopping centres in a very representative city of China – Ningbo. Then, descriptive statistics, t‐test (one sample t‐test, independent sample t‐test and one‐way ANOVA), regression analysis and scatter plots were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The findings of the study are: all the 15 motivation factors listed in the questionnaire, including good pay, promotion, desirable work environment, good welfare package, good bonus system, good company policy, good interpersonal relationships, good supervisors, job security, the opportunity to use my ability, a sense of challenge and achievement, positive recognition, autonomy, self‐actualization and interesting job, do motivate employees in China; good pay is the most important motivator for employees in China; employees' work motivation is affected by their personal characteristics.

Originality/value

It is believed that these findings can assist organizations in China, those located in Ningbo in particular, in effectively motivating their employees. It may also be applied to organizations located in other parts of the world which have Chinese employees.
Equitable risks allocation of projects inside China: analyses from Delphi survey studies
Authors: Ke Yongjian , Wang ShouQing , Chan Albert P.C.
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to validate and elaborate on the preferred risk allocations for Chinese public‐private partnership (PPP) projects.

Design/methodology/approach

A previous two‐round Delphi survey was carried out to identify the preferred risk allocations in Chinese PPP projects. A series of face‐to‐face interviews was subsequently conducted to collect actual risk allocations in some recently completed PPP projects. By comparing the preferred and actual allocations and discovering the reasons behind the differences, an equitable risk allocation scheme was then obtained.

Findings

The comparative analysis showed a great degree of conformity between the two allocation schemes. These interviews effectively reinforce the rationale of the preferred risk allocations, so that they can be considered as equitable for PPP projects in China.

Originality/value

Equitable risk allocation is critical to the success of a PPP project. The findings in this paper are hence important to investors for a better understanding of the risks of PPP projects in China.
Planting seeds of enterprise
Authors: Dana Léo‐Paul , Hipango Waata
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to add to the understanding of Māori perspectives pertaining to the economic application of New Zealand's flora and fauna.

Design/methodology/approach

The body of literature consulted was a combination of works written about Rongoā Māori (Māori medicine) and Māori perspectives on the stewardship and management of New Zealand's natural resources. Empirical findings were obtained from focus groups and an interview with a practitioner of Rongoā Māori. All interviews were semi‐structured.

Findings

The findings indicate that Māori enterprise involving indigenous flora and fauna is likely to be community based; with a proportion of these being non‐profit in nature. The transmission and protection of traditional knowledge regarding the use of plants is a key issue. Māori iwi (tribes) would benefit from further research into their models of community‐based entrepreneurship.

Practical implications

The paper would be useful for academics considering further exploration of Māori participation in the bio‐economy.

Originality/value

The paper is an exploratory study that has captured some Māori perspectives regarding the use of indigenous flora and fauna.
Entrepreneurial implications of Nigeria's oil industry local content policy
Authors: Bellema Ihua Ugwushi , Abiodun Olabowale Olatunde , Nnanna Eloji Kamdi , Ajayi Chris
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the efficacy of Nigeria's oil and gas industry local content (LC) policy, with particular reference to how the policy has enhanced entrepreneurial activities and served as panacea to resolving some of the country's socio‐economic challenges within the oil‐producing Niger Delta region.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were randomly obtained from a questionnaire sample of 120 indigenes in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states; and subjected to factor‐analysis using varimax rotation to identify the most crucial factors likely to influence the success of the policy. Cronbach's α was also applied to ascertain the reliability of the data and overall agreement amongst respondents.

Findings

The study reveals a general level of indifference amongst the respondents, and an insignificant level of entrepreneurial implication, regarding the LC policy. Notwithstanding, the need to create business prospects, jobs opportunities, and establish special quota arrangements to benefit indigenes of the oil producing host‐communities were found to be most crucial in their assessment of the policy's efficacy.

Practical implications

It is expected that the policy should stimulate and open up more channels for budding entrepreneurial activities, job opportunities and wealth generation. These would mitigate situations of unwarranted militant activities, social disorder and disguised criminalities such as kidnapping and destruction of oil installations, resulting from perceived marginalisation, massive unemployment and poor living standards experienced within the region.

Originality/value

The study provides insights into how the LC policy, if properly harnessed and judiciously implemented, can generate win‐win outcomes for the nation, multi‐national oil companies, host communities and indigenous entrepreneurs.
Governance, commercial strategies and performances of wine cooperatives
Authors: Couderc Jean‐Pierre , Marchini Andrea
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the structural characteristics, the governance and the performance of two French and Italian groups of wine cooperatives, with two objectives in mind. On one hand, the study will analyse the presence of similarities between the characteristics of the two groups of companies which were founded in the same period within a similar legal framework; on the other, it will study the presence of links between the strategic policy of the companies and their structural, governance and performance characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses survey data obtained from interviews with 25 wine cooperatives. It covers the topics of their structure, organisation, strategies, management and performance in Italy (specifically in Umbria, a region in the centre of Italy), and in France (in Languedoc‐Roussillon, a region in southern France). Other indicators of performance, calculated from the balance sheets of the companies, were added to this analysis, and a careful analysis was drawn up to check the factors which condition the performance of the companies.

Findings

The main finding underlines some strong differentiating elements between those cooperatives selling the biggest part of their production as bulk wine and those selling it as packaged wine. But the first situation does not lead automatically to inferring a decline or an involution of these cooperatives. On the contrary, the mitigated performances that were found clearly question whether there is a strategic evolution towards more specialisation (intermediate phases of product transformation, leading to business‐to‐business differentiation strategies) which could be more profitable for their growers‐owners than further integration towards packaged wine sales.

Originality/value

The analysis deals with the problem of performance and governance of the transformation cooperative companies in the wine sector, which produce more than 50 percent of the entire wine production both in France and Italy.