bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Qualitative management research in the NHS
Authors: Hewison Alistair
Published: July 2006

This paper examines research that has been undertaken to investigate management in health care and argues that there is no firm “evidence base” to demonstrate its effectiveness. However there is an emerging tradition of qualitative work, which has developed in response to the pace of organisational and structural change in health care, which reveals that the prevalent “ideal type” of rational management is inaccurate. One of the avowed strengths of qualitative research is that it uncovers what the nature of a particular phenomenon is, in essence it aims to “count to one”. This need to understand and define health care management, forms the rationale for the studies reviewed and has influenced the research agenda in this area. Evidence is being demanded to demonstrate the efficacy of all clinical procedures, yet in researching managerial practice we are still counting to one.
Linking team competences to organisational capacities in health care
Authors: Hyland Paul , Davison Graydon , Sloan Terry
Published: July 2006

Palliative care is a complex environment in which teams of healthcare professionals are constantly challenged to match the configuration of care delivery to suit the dynamics of the patient's bio‐medical, social and spiritual situations as they change during the end‐of‐life process. In such an environment these teams need to engage in ongoing interaction between different professional disciplines, incremental improvement in care delivery, learning and radical innovation. This is aimed at combining operational effectiveness, strategic flexibility, exploitation and exploration, in a way that ensures the best possible care for the patient. This paper examines previous research on the management competences and the organisational capabilities necessary for continuous innovation, and analyses evidence emerging from a study of palliative care. Work on the relationships between innovation capacities, organisational capabilities and team‐based competence is drawn together. Evidence is presented from research into the management of innovation in palliative care.
Care pathways: the road to better health services?
Authors: Bragato Laura , Jacobs Kerry
Published: July 2006

This paper describes the development and implementation of care pathways in two orthopaedic units in Scotland. Although originally developed as a tool of project management, care pathways have been promoted internationally as a response to concerns for patient safety, variability in care and increasing costs. Generally, care pathways can be seen as an example of clinician led rather than management led reform. However, it does reflect a wider shift towards process and away from hierarchical approaches to management. Within the UK care pathways have been promoted as a response to the modernisation initiative of the Labour Government. While the initiative was a success in both units it was more difficult to implement care pathways in a trauma rather than an elective unit. In conclusion, it is questionable whether care pathways are a universal response to the requirement for modernisation and service redesign in the NHS.
Making sense of executive sensemaking
Authors: Parry Jonathan
Published: July 2006

This paper attempts to answer the research question, “how do senior executives in my organisation make sense of their professional life?” Having reviewed the sensemaking literature, in particular that of the pre‐eminent author in this field, Karl E. Weick, I adopt a phenomenological, interpretist orientation which relies on an ideographic, inductive generation of theory. I situate myself, both as researcher and chief executive of the organisation studied, in the narrative of sensemaking. Using semi‐structured interviews and a combination of grounded theory and template analysis to generate categories, seven themes of sensemaking are tentatively produced which are then compared with Weick's characteristics. The methodological approach is then reflected on, criticised and alternative methodologies are briefly considered. The conclusion reached is that the themes generated by the research may have relevance for sensemaking processes, but that the production of formal theory through social research is problematic.
The reform of hospital financing in Germany: an international solution?
Authors: Lungen Markus , Lapsley Irvine
Published: July 2006

From 2003, each inpatient's stay at a German hospital will be reimbursed according to diagnosis related groups. The former German hospital financing system, which consisted partly ofper diemrates and partly of per‐case rates, was abolished in an attempt to increase efficiency in hospitals. This can be seen as the government's attempt to act on the principles of evidence‐based policy. Since there is no strict global budget for inpatient treatment, it is not certain that those diagnosis related groups will actually decrease overall expenditures on hospitals. Also, it is argued that the introduction of diagnosis related groups in Germany may not be the last step in rebuilding the German health care system. The manner, scope and timing of this reform suggests that it will not succeed. Reforms lead to yet more reforms.
Family‐friendly policies: general nurses’ preferences and experiences
Authors: Robinson Sarah , Davey Barbara , Murrells Trevor
Published: July 2006

While European Union policy emphasises that one of the aims of family‐friendly working arrangements is to increasing gender equality, in the UK the focus has been primarily on workforce retention. Drawing on a study of Registered General Nurses who returned to work after breaks for maternity leave, this paper considers their preferences and experiences in light of current UK family‐friendly policies and the implications of the findings for increasing gender equality. Questionnaires were completed by respondents in three regional health authorities and focused on the four to eight year period after qualification. The following topics were investigated: views about length of maternity break and reasons for returning to work sooner than preferred; hours sought after a return and hours obtained; the availability of preferred patterns of work and of flexible hours; retention of grade on return; the availability and use of workplace crèches, and childcare arrangements when children were unwell.
Managerial skills of principal physicians assessed by their colleagues
Authors: Kumpusalo Esko , Virjo Irma , Mattila Kari , Halila Hannu
Published: July 2006

The purpose of this paper was to discover the views of doctors regarding the managerial skills of their principal physicians and the views of doctors of their postgraduate specialist training in management. This was done by sending out a questionnaire to every second physician registered in 1977‐1986 in Finland. They were asked to evaluate their principal physicians' managerial skills using a visual analogue scale. A five‐point Likert scale was used to inquire how much training doctors had received for different professional tasks, including management, during their specialist training. Of all the 318 principal physicians in this study, 85 percent reported that they had had too little training for managerial skills. It was found that doctors in leading positions, both in public hospitals and the primary health care sector, are aware of the need of training for managerial and leadership skills.
Fundamental shortcomings of evidence‐based medicine
Authors: Valkenburg Govert , Achterhuis Hans , Nijhof André
Published: July 2006

The development of any scientific theory has a certain logic. Bruno Latour formulated a theory, describing the development of science and technology. Outcomes of science are not guided by nature or “the truth”, but by a complex negotiation. It starts with ideas, which follow paths of publications and assessment. Then they are either rejected or accepted. Analysing the development of evidence‐based medicine with Latour's theory, we find two fundamental problems. First, EBM tends to standardise moral considerations. Second, EBM standardises the patient, since test populations are usually composed homogeneously. Presumptions concerning methods and morals are slid into the EBM‐methodology during its development. With Latour we should say, that the conceptions of the standard patient and standard morals have been delegated to this methodology. They are carried out strictly, and this causes the discomfort with practitioners and scientists within EBM. A solution should be sought for in redesigning trials, in a less morally charged fashion, and concerning less standardised patients.
The implementation of a local primary care incentive scheme: medical vs management priorities
Authors: Mahmood Kashifa
Published: July 2006

Treats GPs’ perceptions of their level of influence in designing the primary care development scheme as a litmus test of their professional involvement in driving NHS policy and whether a corporate role for e´lite practitioners affords increased influence over rank‐and‐file colleagues. Documenting medical involvement in policy formulation distinguishes the response of those GPs who perform a management role on the professional executive committee (PEC) from those concentrating on clinical practice. The research findings are based on the responses of a sample of 27 GPs who were interviewed across two PCT sites in northern England. A form of restratification was evident from the pattern of consultations with a select group of GPs who mediated policies. The attitudes of rank‐and‐file practitioners towards the e´lite stratum of GPs reinforced notions of a new division in general practice. Incentive scheme proposals may have been rejected in their entirety by rank‐and‐file GPs and medical representative bodies, had it not been for the intervention of PEC GPs who played a vital role in promoting acceptance of PCT policies. Yet PEC GPs also experienced a sense of disempowerment vis‐a`‐vis managers.
Sedative‐hypnotic prescription in an out‐patient mental health service in the north‐west
Authors: Duddu V. , Saleem P.T. , Green K.
Published: July 2006

Sedative‐hypnotic medications are commonly abused prescription drugs, which are commonly prescribed by psychiatrists. We aimed at studying benzodiazepine and related drug prescriptions among patients attending psychiatric out‐patient clinics of a hospital in East Lancashire. A total of 6.2 per cent of patients who attended the department in one representative week were prescribed benzodiazepine/related drugs. A majority of these had anxiety disorders, and anxiety was the major indication for prescription of these drugs. Diazepam, temazepam and related drugs like zopiclone/zolpidem were the most commonly prescribed. Most subjects had been on the drug for one to 12 months. The prescriptions were not in keeping with the BNF guidelines in most cases. The findings do not support the hypothesis of an unduly high prevalence of sedative prescriptions in this setting. The results highlight a need for complete documentation of various aspects of benzodiazepine prescriptions.
Changing physician behavior: half‐empty or half‐full?
Authors: Hardie Alvanzo Anika , Cohen Gail M. , Nettleman Mary
Published: July 2006

Physicians can significantly impact both the quality and the cost of health care. Thus, it is not surprising that there is great interest in modifying physician behavior. There have been three main methods used to alter physician behavior: education, motivation, and facilitation. This article reviews the success of these methods.
Team resource management: a programme for troubled teams
Authors: Arthur Howard , Wall Debbie , Halligan Aidan
Published: July 2006

The necessity for effective multidisciplinary team working within increasingly complex health and social care environments has been emphasised in The NHS Plan. Good teamwork makes a critical contribution to effectiveness and innovation in health‐care delivery and it is through such teams that the agenda of quality improvement through clinical governance can be delivered at local level. The NHS Clinical Governance Support Team’s Team Resource Management Programme supports individuals who work directly with poorly performing NHS teams. A case study example illustrates how a team coach has used her experiences on the Programme to facilitate effective change in a “troubled” team in her health‐care organisation.
Cardiovascular health of immigrant women: implications for evidence‐based practice
Authors: Wong Julia , Wong Shirley
Published: July 2006

There is a dearth of information on the cardiovascular health of immigrant women. The present study analyzed the dataset from the National Population Health Survey to describe the modifiable CVD risk factors of Canadian immigrant women. Results indicated a statistically significant difference in modifiable CVD risk factors with respect to the country of birth, spoken language, and the length of time in Canada. The prevalence of smoking was significantly different across all income groups, with the lowest and middle income groups having the highest prevalence rate. Compared with their non‐white counterparts, the white immigrant women had a greater prevalence of obesity, hypertension, and smoking. Irrespective of race and country of birth, immigrant women tended to have worse CVD risk factors than non‐immigrant women. Age was the most important predictor of heart disease and hypertension. Implications of the study results for evidence‐based practice are discussed.
Auditing the medico‐legal aspects of notekeeping for Caesarean section
Authors: Corner A.J.
Published: July 2006

In the UK, obstetric surgery is commonly performed with the patient awake and her partner present. Patient expectations are high. Even under high quality regional anaesthesia, non‐painful sensation may occur. This and other contentious issues must be discussed before surgery. Legal proceedings against obstetric anaesthetists are rare, but may arise many months later. Accurate contemporaneous notes are essential. The quality of notekeeping was audited for 50 Caesarean sections. A redesigned anaesthetic chart with prompts for key information was introduced and the audit repeated. There were significant improvements in documenting the pre‐operative discussion of: intra‐operative sensation; conversion to general anaesthesia; post‐dural puncture headache; suppositories; neuraxial opiate‐induced itch. Records of pain free operations; the presence or absence of nerve root pain; and the timing of events leading to delivery were significantly increased. This audit suggests that an anaesthetic chart with specific prompts improves the documentation of medico‐legally relevant information.
Evaluating two different methods of documenting care plans in medical records
Authors: From Gustav , Pedersen Lone Mark , Hansen Jette , Christy Morten , Gjørup Thomas , Thorsgaard Niels , Perrild Hans , Bonnevie Olaf , Frølich Anne
Published: July 2006

Evaluates care plans documented in two different ways, using controlled and randomised studies of consecutive acutely admitted medical patients. Within 24 hours after admission, a care plan was made for the hospital stay, specifying active problems, a plan of action and a time‐schedule. In study 1, patients had care plans written directly into their medical records during the intervention period, while the normal admittance procedure was followed in the control period. In study 2, all patients had a care plan made on a planning form and in the medical record. Patients were randomised either to have the form stay in the medical record or to have it removed. Study 1 results showed that care plans were associated with earlier recognition of patients’ active problems, whereas the tendency to initiate solutions to active problems earlier was insignificant. Length of stay (LOS) and risk of readmission remained unchanged. In study 2, planning forms were associated with a 1.5‐day lower LOS and higher accuracy of planned LOS. Risk of readmission and accomplishment of plans of action were unaltered.
A multi‐centre audit of two determinants of the efficacy of emergency plastic surgery patient management: “fasting times” and “injury to theatre time”
Authors: Pandya Ankur , Grant Ian , Vaingankar Nitin , Human Mark , Huang Simon , Waters Maggie , James N.K.
Published: July 2006

Two prospective synchronous regional audits involving three tertiary plastic surgery units in mixed service hospitals were carried out to study delays in the management of emergency patients and their possible causes. Each audit was over a one‐month period. These prospective studies investigated “fasting times” (the length of time that an individual patient was fasted prior to definitive management) and “injury to theatre time” (the time span from the time of injury to the time of surgery for patients going to the operating theatre). Results are analysed and discussed and recommendations for improvement are offered.
Hidden in plain view: the importance of professional nursing care
Authors: Tourangeau Ann E. , Stone Patricia W. , Birnbaum David
Published: July 2006

Examines health‐care restructuring activities undertaken across North American hospitals over the past decade related to hospital care by nursing professionals (i.e. hospital nurses versus practical nurses or aides). Identifies fundamental lessons learned and highlights important priority research areas that must be undertaken to ensure that future initiatives achieve the intended effect of improving patient outcomes.
Functioning as a team? The role of NCEPOD reports in clinical risk management
Authors: Cowan Jane
Published: July 2006

Since 1990, the National Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Deaths (NCEPOD) has published a total of 14 reports. These are intended to assist clinical staff in applying the lessons learned from the analysis of post‐operative deaths to help prevent future incidents. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that the dissemination of this information does not always take place. Access to these reports should be encouraged and perhaps considered more formally during surgical training. Their use is also advocated in the multidisciplinary setting and as part of clinical audit. Unacceptable standards of medical record keeping are frequently highlighted in the NCEPOD reports. All health‐care professionals have a responsibility to raise these standards such that clinical documentation conforms with a basic acceptable standard that does not compromise patient care. Risk managers should also make use of the NCEPOD reports in meeting the requirements of Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) standards.
Knowledge, not evidence, should determine primary care practice
Authors: Small Neil
Published: July 2006

In 1996 and 1997 authoritative reports identified the absence of a research culture in primary care. This article reviews progress since then in the context of the wider development of evidence based medicine. The article considers critiques of the meaning of evidence and focuses on both service delivery and policy. An argument is made that “knowledge”, “not evidence”, offers a better basis for primary care practice.
Increasing influenza and pneumococcal vaccination rates in high risk groups in one primary care trust as part of a clinical governance programme
Authors: Niroshan Siriwardena A. , Wilburn Tracy , Hazelwood Louise
Published: July 2006

The background is that clinical governance is a new mechanism for improving patient care within primary care organisations. The aim is to investigate the ability of practices in a single Primary Care Trust to improve influenza and pneumococcal vaccination uptake in high risk groups as a component of a clinical governance programme. A descriptive before and after study was undertaken at West Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust. Concludes that clinically, important improvements in influenza vaccination uptake occurred in patients over 65 years, and for influenza and pneumococcal vaccination in coronary heart disease and diabetic patients between the two audit cycles demonstrating the ability of participating practices to achieve and exceed national targets for influenza immunisation of these high‐risk groups.
An explanation of theories that guide evidence‐based interventions to improve quality
Authors: Smith Wally R.
Published: July 2006

The concept of evidence‐based medicine, or medical practice based on up‐to‐date research about the best available diagnoses and treatments, has been well accepted into mainstream medicine. In contrast, evidence‐based quality improvement, culminating in evidence‐based dissemination or implementation of the latest research, is far from a reality. One of the many reasons for this failure is that all responsible for dissemination and implementation do not understand or apply relevant theories from the social and educational sciences. Rather, many popular approaches to quality improvement have been chosen empirically, unguided by theory. Sometimes these choices have resulted in failure and/or unintended consequences. The purpose of this review is to categorize and explain various theories relevant to quality improvement interventions. Each reviewed theory is connected with approaches the theory suggests would be successful. The review discusses how knowledge of improvement theory can drive not only the choice of techniques to employ but also the choice of contexts for employment. The review offers a critique of some theories and their associated approaches.
Making an impact: exploring delegates’ perceptions of the clinical governance development programme
Authors: Sweeney Grace , Ellis Annie
Published: July 2006

Aims to identify the positive and negative impact that the NHS Clinical Governance Support Team’s (CGST) Clinical Governance Development Programme (CGDP) was perceived to have (or failed to have) on delegates, working practices and work relationships. Data were collected with a random sample of 500 delegates who had participated in the CGDP. Indicates that the CGDP was successful in meeting its aims, with participants reporting that their views or behaviours had changed on a number of items. Subjects reported an increase in their skills, knowledge, clarity and structure in their work and improved communication between clinical teams. Participation in the CGDP had a positive impact on the individuals’ professional development. Major benefits were reported as: networking and sharing with other professionals from a diverse range of clinical and geographical areas, taking time to reflect and plan, and development of a new set of skills. Some participants who reported little or no progress attributed the main factors hindering change to shortage of time, resources, workforce migration and the debilitating impact of continuous change in the NHS.
Accountability and responsibility: clinical governance beyond the institution
Authors: Baker Mark R.
Published: July 2006

The principal focus of clinical governance is intended to be at the level of the statutory organisation such as a Health Authority, Primary Care Trust or NHS Trust. This paper suggests that there are at least three levels (micro, macro and meta) at which clinical governance must operate if the original vision of flourishing excellence is to be fulfilled. These do not, regrettably, fit comfortably into the current organisational arrangements for the NHS in England and some cut across any traditional understanding of accountability relationships. With clinical governance at a relatively early stage of its development in many hospitals, and little better than vestigial in most Primary Care and Ambulance Trusts, it may be premature to take on such complex and challenging issues. However, the types of scenario described are typical of those that might create the next major system failure if they remain beyond the scope of clinical governance.
Using practical outcomes to measure clinical performance in the children’s asthma clinic
Authors: Alexander Victoria , Ogston Simon , Booker Carolyn , Irvine Linda , Mukhopadhyay Somnath
Published: July 2006

This paper investigates clinical outcomes of children with asthma treated in a hospital clinic and thus develop a method for the monitoring of clinical performance. Prospective, before‐and‐after analyses of clinic information for first hospital visits and long‐term follow‐ups. For initial referrals we assessed the change in asthma symptom scores between initial and first follow‐up visits. For long‐term follow‐up yearly changes in symptom scores, hospital admissions, school absences and oral steroid use were measured. Multiple regression was used to study the role of possible predicting factors, where applicable. The subjects studied were children attending hospital children’s asthma clinics in Tayside. Initial referral to hospital asthma clinic was associated with a significant improvement in mean symptom scores. In contrast, children on long‐term hospital follow‐up were maintained at a relatively steady state. Measurement of these outcomes in children’s asthma clinics could facilitate the assessment of clinical performance and monitor changes on a longitudinal basis.
Practice guidelines and clinical governance: do the means match with the ends? A quality appraisal of local practice guidelines
Authors: Berti Elena , Grilli Roberto
Published: July 2006

The quality of 39 guidelines developed locally was assessed, using a standardised instrument addressing five quality domains (scope and purpose, stakeholders involvement, rigour of development, applicability and clarity). For each of them a domain‐specific quality score (ranging from 0 to 100) was estimated. Overall, local guidelines scored particularly low on rigour (mean: 5.1; sd: 12.1) and applicability (mean: 16.9; sd: 12.9). Scores for other domains were only slightly better. This study suggests that local guidelines do not assure neither scientific validity of the recommendations nor attention to their adoption in clinical practice. Without substantial changes in their local use, practice guidelines will not be of any benefit in supporting the implementation of clinical governance.
Attitudes to and experiences of reporting poor care
Authors: Firth‐Cozens Jenny , Firth Robert A. , Booth Sue
Published: July 2006

Surveys in the UK and USA show that error in health care is unacceptably high. It is also known, however, that considerable under‐reporting of error takes place and we need therefore to begin to understand why people fail to report so that we can introduce systems and develop cultures and systems which make this easier. Although this has been considered hypothetically, what happens in real situations and what the outcomes are for those individuals actually reporting has not been studied. This study is built on an earlier pilot of 228 doctors that considered the experiences and attitudes of a range of nurses and doctors to reporting their concerns. It includes those who went ahead and those who did not, as well as the attitudes of other staff with no experiences of wanting to report, and the types of event that were more likely to lead to reporting.
Funding primary care in the United States
Authors: Nettleman Mary , Yanni Leanne
Published: July 2006

In the USA, primary care is usually defined as comprehensive or coordinated care that is delivered by physicians practicing general internal medicine, family practice, or pediatrics. Obstetrics and gynecology is sometimes included under the auspices of primary care since many women, particularly during the childbearing years, rely on these physicians for preventive services. Over the last 50 years, the funding models for primary care in the USA have been inconsistent and fragmented, resulting in a complex and inadequate funding system. Although many countries have developed government‐sponsored, universal health care plans, the USA did not choose this route. Rather, significant change in US medicine has been the intended or unintended result of legislation and market‐forces.
The Denver Connection (Porter‐Swedish) experiment revisited
Authors: Birnbaum David , Petersen Carol
Published: July 2006

The so‐called Denver connection should be today’s shining example of how to achieve health care quality and safety improvement through lasting evidence‐based collaborations led by health professionals. Instead, this 30 year old experiment is all but forgotten and the story of its demise is a tale of destructive corporate growth. Unfortunately, it bears prescient similarity to problems in health care restructuring today. We should question whether today’s business models, management performance, and accreditation mandates have set the right stage before we venture forth to act again. Unless we ensure a better environment in which to operate, today’s “new” approaches for improving quality and safety may be doomed to the same sad fate.
An old question concerning management education and development...
Authors: Rausch Erwin
Published: July 2006

How can management education and development provide a better foundation for managers and prospective managers so they will be more competent as leaders? That is the persistent question as is evidenced in Porter and McKibbin (1988), in articles in AACSB’s newest magazine Business Education, and in the Academy of Management’s new journal Learning and Education.
Intercultural training for organizations
Authors: Zhu Yunxia
Published: July 2006

As Adler points out in International Dimension of Organizational Behavior (1997), global leaders tend to recognize the value of cultural differences but the synergistic approach is still much less practised than the parochial or the ethnocentric approach which is based on the assumption that our way is the only way. By synergistic approach, Adler means the approach to incorporate the values of all cultures involved within an organization. Why is there such a dilemma? What has hindered global managers from practicing what they believe in?
Using a retreat for leadership development
Authors: Hooton Sally A.
Published: July 2006

The role of a further education college in England and Wales differs considerably from colleges in the USA and Europe in the students/learners for whom they aim to cater and the courses they offer in order to do so. The range of needs for which FE colleges cater is vast. Many institutions aim to provide a comprehensive range of training and learning opportunities for post‐16 education.
The manager’s role in coaching Overcoming barriers to success
Authors: Starr Julie
Published: July 2006

Traditional approaches to managing people simply do not work. Being directive, i.e. “I tell you what to do and when to do it” inhibits development of the individual over time. Staff continually instructed by overly directive managers do not blossom, they wither. When we tell staff how to do everything, we are actually teaching them to do less for themselves.
The mentoring/counseling/coaching debate
Authors: Garvey Bob
Published: July 2006

In practice, mentoring is merely an aggrandizement of the term coaching and counseling is best left to the professionals. The tragedy of mentoring is that it has been hijacked and mugged by the so‐called coaching profession who are in it only for financial gain.
Commercial activity in new university business schools
Authors: Prince Chris
Published: July 2006

Commercial activity, and the income it generates, are of increasing importance to all higher education institutions. For new university business schools in the UK (i.e. ex polytechnics) the funding climate has produced a scenario in which commercial activity is likely to be an increasing priority as business schools attempt to remain solvent.
Mind the gap!
Authors: Owen Godfrey
Published: July 2006

The UK “skills gap” has been estimated to cost UK business around £20 billion every year. Far from being confined to the IT industry, as press reports would have us believe, it crosses almost every industry and marketplace and affects all employees from apprentices and graduates to chairmen and chief executives. In addition, despite a range of published solutions from government bodies, workforce think‐tanks and skills development agencies, the skills gap will not simply disappear. The skills gap is an ongoing reality for UK companies and no amount of skilled asylum seekers or government investment in apprenticeship training will provide a quick fix.
Feature articles Maximizing transfer of learning from management education programs
Authors: Longenecker Clinton O.
Published: July 2006

Formal management education, ranging from seminars and workshops to comprehensive MBA programs, is readily available and is viewed as a primary tool for management development. Yet, critics often cite that the transfer of learning of knowledge and practices from the classroom to workplace can be very limited.
Learning representatives in UK organizations
Authors: Lee Bill , Cassell Catherine
Published: July 2006

Lifelong learning links vocational education to learning for both career and personal development. Such learning clearly has benefits for the employer, the employee and society as a whole. Recently in the UK, trade union learning representatives (ULRs) have become an important tool in the pursuit of lifelong learning and a learning society. The 2002 Employment Act gave legal recognition to ULRs and allowed them paid time off to organize learning for other employees. In this regard, ULRs now enjoy the same legal status as other trade union lay officials. The purpose of this short article is to provide an outline of those rights and to discuss some of the interesting initiatives that have taken place regarding ULRs, to help highlight best practice to date. The article will discuss in turn, learning representatives and the provisions of the 2002 Employment Act, learning agreements, learning committees and learning centers, and draws on the research we are conducting here at the University of Sheffield.
Developing and promoting the right people
Authors: Hawkins Bill
Published: July 2006

Failure to recognize the combination of unique skill sets (by position and by level) can derail a carefully planned reorganization or promising career. Obviously, technical skills are critically important for first level management, but not so important at the top levels of management. People and conceptual skills dominant the needs list at the executive level. Placing unskilled people into new management positions might be all right if the critical competencies and skills were identified and the newly promoted people developed to improve them. Research, however, shows that is not what is happening.
Where do you start with leadership development?
Authors: Moore Jim
Published: July 2006

A leadership development initiative cannot be successful unless it clearly targets a specific business goal. When all is said and done, if the initiative does not positively impact the business, there is really no reason to do it. For this reason, I strongly encourage clients to be very clear about what they are trying to accomplish before implementing any single leadership development program. The starting point should be a business analysis as all leadership development efforts should be grounded in business needs.
Lifelong learning, adult and community education in rural Victoria, Australia
Authors: Cartwright Patricia , Chapman Judith , Chapman Judith , McGilp Jacqueline , Skilbeck Malcolm , Toomey Ron , de Souza Marian , Gaff Janet , Williams Irene
Published: July 2006

In this article, we focus on the practices which have helped overcome a range of specific barriers to participation in adult and community education, and in the process have contributed to cohesion of the group involved and the community in which the program operates. In building and promoting social cohesion we can view learning as a personal journey, and search for meaning as well as a “map that can be used to guide learners along a learning route” (McGivney, 1999, p. 11). As claimed by Chapman and Aspin (2001), lifelong learning for social cohesion will become a reality if we show a readiness to invest in people.
Contemporary issues in organizations
Authors: Tracy Marianne
Published: July 2006

Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries is an influential Dutch writer, scholar and lecturer on leadership with a background in leadership, psychoanalysis and economics. Currently The Raoul de Vitry d’Avaucourt Chaired Professor of Leadership Development at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, he writes of times when leaders do not get the truth from their subordinates. Followers do not tell the truth; leaders do not want to hear the truth. What is this dynamic going on in organizations? The following article is based on a recent interview that I conducted with Kets de Vries on this issue.
Harmonious management
Authors: Shaw Roderick
Published: July 2006

Organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the need to develop their capacity to navigate in uncharted waters. Our current performance culture demands instant answers, yet fast knowledge paradoxically disables us in that it tends to limit the scope of the questions we pose. Developing the imagination entails asking questions without obvious answers, listening to the unbelievable, tuning into a universe of possibilities rather than certainties. Music is a powerful metaphor to help us develop our capacity for unprotected exploration.
Diversity practices
Authors: Allen Richard , Dawson Gail , Wheatley Kathleen , White Charles S.
Published: July 2006

Diversity has increasingly become a “hot‐button” issue in corporate, political, and legal arenas. While many organizations have embraced diversity, others still consider it merely an issue of compliance with legal requirements. Effective diversity management has historically been used to provide a legally defensive position; that is, a firm with a diverse workforce could argue that they were not guilty of discrimination because of the prima facie case based on their workforce demographics representing the demographics of the local community. However, in more recent years, the view of diversity has dramatically changed to a more proactive concept.
Remote‐sensing monitoring of desertification, phenology, and droughts
Authors: Karnieli Arnon , Dall'Olmo Giorgio
Published: July 2006

Year‐to‐year fluctuations of rainfall in the northern Negev desert provide an opportunity to characterize and assess the temporal dynamics of desertification, phenology, and drought processes. Such information was retrieved and analyzed by combined use of satellite imageries in the reflectivity and thermal spectral bands. Data covering four years of coarse spatial resolution and images from a high revisit time satellite, namely the NOAA‐14, were used. The images were processed to produce the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the land surface temperature (LST). These measures were applied to the sand field in the northwestern Negev (Israel), which is almost totally covered by biological soil crusts, and to an adjacent region in Sinai (Egypt), consisting mainly of bare dune sands. Various manipulations of the data were applied. Time series presentation of the NDVI and LST reveals that the NDVI values correspond to the reaction of the vegetation to rainfall and that LST values represent seasonal climatic fluctuation. Scatterplot analysis of LST vs NDVI demonstrates the following: the two different biomes (Sinai and the Negev) exhibit different yearly variation of the phenological patterns (two seasons in Sinai moving along the LST axis, and three seasons in the Negev, where the NDVI axis represents the growing season); the Sinai has an ecosystem similar to that found in the Sahara, while the Negev, only a few kilometers away, has an ecosystem similar to the one found in the Sahel; and drought indicators were derived by using several geometrical expressions based on the two extreme points of the LST‐NDVI scatterplot. The later analysis led to a discrimination function that aims to distinguish between the drought years and the wet years in both biomes. Results from the current study show that a great deal of information on dryland ecosystems can be derived from four, out of five, NOAA/AVHRR spectral bands. The NDVI is derived from the red and the near‐infrared bands and the LST from the two thermal bands. Combined use of these two products provides more information than any product alone.
Assessing the environmental impacts of human settlements using satellite data
Authors: Milesi Cristina , Elvidge Christopher D. , Nemani Ramakrishna R. , Running Steven W.
Published: July 2006

In the last 50 years, the Mediterranean Basin has experienced a doubling of its population. This demographic growth has been the cause of extensive land use changes that have undermined the ecological stability of large portions of its fragile ecosystems. The population of the Mediterranean countries is expected to grow by another 20 percent in the next 25 years, further increasing the pressure on the natural resources. In this paper, we present a methodology combining photosynthetic activity and human settlements both derived from satellite data for monitoring the effects of human settlements on the environment. We found photosynthesis decreasing as one moves from rural to urban settings in the north and increasing in the south Mediterranean countries. Regional scale assessments using this approach may help policy makers in designing appropriate measures to combat further environmental degradation.
Impact assessment of qualitative policy scenarios
Authors: Nijkamp Peter , Vindigni Gabriella
Published: July 2006

The purpose of this paper is to offer a contribution to the study of integrated assessment procedures for evaluating the effectiveness of agri‐environmental policy strategies. While in the past the studies in this context have typically concentrated on the contents of methods in isolation, there is a growing trend towards methodological perspectives that support the linking of such methods. The focus here is on the combination of discrete multicriteria approaches used for handling qualitative information in a sequence of steps: the regime method, the evamix method and rough‐set analysis. The first two methods will be used to obtain a ranking of four alternative scenarios of agri‐environmental policies in a selected area of study, in this case, Sicily. The results obtained are discussed and re‐analysed by using the rough‐set approach as a recent meta‐analytical tool. Finally, the analysis findings are applied to an investigation into the potential effectiveness of agricultural policies in promoting sustainable rural development in Sicily.
Optical fibre sensors and networks for environmental monitoring
Authors: Stewart G. , Culshaw B. , Johnstone W. , Whitenett G. , Atherton K. , McLean A.
Published: July 2006

Describes the author's work on the development of fibre sensors and networks for monitoring trace gases such as methane, acetylene, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide and for detection of spills of gasoline, diesel and organic solvents, all of which are important in environmental and safety management. As an example, a 45‐point fibre optic sensor network has been installed on a landfill site to assess the distribution of methane generation across the site. System operation is based on near‐IR absorption and is currently being extended to monitor other gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. Concurrently, research is being conducted on fibre lasers for the realisation of multi‐point, multi‐gas monitoring systems. Based on other principles (periodic micro‐bending loss effects), detection of hydrocarbon fuel spills has been demonstrated at multiple locations along the length of a specially designed fibre optic cable using standard optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) measurements.
The human health impact of waste management practices
Authors: Saffron Lisa , Giusti Lorenzo , Pheby Derek
Published: July 2006

A literature review was carried out of the health impacts of incineration, landfill, composting, landspreading sewage sludge and sewage discharges. A protocol for making judgements about the strength and reliability of the evidence was applied using an algorithm with defined criteria. Possible judgements were “convincing”, “probable”, “possible” or “insufficient”. The review found that the evidence linking any adverse health outcomes with incineration, landfill or landspreading sewage sludge was “insufficient” to claim a causal association. The evidence is “insufficient” to link residence near a centralised composting facility with adverse health outcomes but it is “possible” that working at a centralised composting facility causes health problems. Working in sewage treatment plants “probably” causes gastrointestinal tract problems, headache, fatigue and airways symptoms. The only “convincing” evidence is that gastrointestinal symptoms result from bathing in sewage contaminated recreational waters.
A case study on energy saving and new energy services in Japan
Authors: Mizuta Yutaka
Published: July 2006

Energy conservation or energy saving is one of the most important methods for reducing CO2 emissions, which is known to be associated with global warming. Although development of renewable energy sources such as solar or wind energy is necessary, we must first pay attention to the fact that enormous amounts of energy are consumed uselessly at present. Energy saving should therefore be one of the first problems to be tackled. It may not only bring reductions in CO2 emission, but also may lead to savings in expenditure on energy. This paper introduces some of the initiatives taking place in Japan aimed at energy conservation.
The efficiency of becoming eco‐efficient
Authors: Cerin Pontus , Laestadius Staffan
Published: July 2006

The 1990s has been characterised by a rapid growth in corporate environmental management and analyses. Examines the environmental outcome and corporate economic benefits from this work in industry in general by using a dominant player in the telecommunications industry, Ericsson which also is prominent in its environmental work, as a case study from 1997 to 2002. Indicates a gap in the late 1990s between the needs of company units financing environmental studies and the research scope used by the environmental experts initiating the work. The environmentally motivated life‐cycle studies have not improved ongoing design projects towards eco‐efficient offerings. Corporate product units need time and cost‐effective procedures and guidelines to enable front‐end design. As a consequence, resources for life‐cycle assessments (LCAs) have decreased while materials declarations still goes on as a front‐end design instrument. Now LCA has evolved into a method for stakeholder communication of both life‐cycle environmental impacts for individual products as well as for the entire life cycle impacts of the whole product portfolio of the corporation. LCAs play a role in design projects, exclusively as a back‐end design tool, by having improved the design guidelines used.
Characterization of the pollutant‐matrix interaction in contaminated soils
Authors: Pepin G. , Baroudi H. , Nomine M.
Published: July 2006

Supporting many policies of contaminated sites management, the risk assessment methodology needs a deep knowledge of the characteristics of the contamination of soils. Physico‐chemical analysis has to take in account the heterogeneity and the specificity of the soil. A better knowledge of the interactions between the chemical substances and the matrix should be developed and its influence on the measurement chain shall be determined. In particular, the influence on the final result of each of the analytical steps (pre‐treatment, extraction, purification, analysis) has to be quantified. An experimental protocol has been designed to study the influence of the type of pre‐treatment chosen in relation to the characteristics of the matrix of real contaminated soils by PCB and PAH. The results show and quantify how the texture, the granulometry, the water content and the total organic carbon (TOC) content may affect the analytical result depending on the analytical pre‐treatment‐step chosen.