bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How to gain consensus from a group of non‐experts – an educationist perspective on using the Delphi technique
Authors: Vakani Farhan , Sheerani Mughis
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to build an understanding of how to bring about change, improve relationships, facilitate knowledge creation and sharing, and support coherence and sense‐making among clinical faculty with little or no background in medical education.

Design/methodology/approach

In this process the conventional Delphi approach was used, as it was believed that it would help in gaining the most reliable agreement of opinions of a diverse group of faculty members in the shortest time.

Findings

The paper finds that the instructional and assessment tools and approaches that were being used were mostly traditional. The challenge was to get them to a consensus as most of the faculty/teachers were unsure about replacing the traditional approaches which were “time tested” to newer “evidence‐based” methodology. This paper demonstrates that four features – namely, anonymity, iteration, controlled feedback and cumulative statistical group response – are the key contributory factors to moving the “unsure group” to an agreement.

Research limitations/implications

Conventional silent technique shows promise in getting the “non‐educationists” on the same page without much friction, but has limitations as it was limited to a specific group and a single university setting.

Practical implications

This process created connections between the faculty members that carry a long‐lasting effect and not just the resolution of the problem of the day.

Originality/value

This paper establishes that this exercise will bring about a positive change in the attitude and practices of the faculty /teachers and can help them to implement “evidence based” methodology for teaching and learning.
Interview with Will Chadwick, Vice President UK at Tata Interactive Systems
Authors: by Gareth Bell Interview
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide an interview with Will Chadwick.

Design/methodology/approach

The interview is conducted by an independent interviewer.

Findings

Will Chadwick is Vice President, UK of Tata Interactive Systems (TIS). TIS, part of the multinational conglomerate Tata Group, is a leading provider of learning solutions. Their product offering includes game‐based learning, simulations, web‐based training and courseware, and educational multimedia, and they have provided bespoke solutions for over 60 Fortune 500 companies. With development centers in Germany, Switzerland and India, TIS is at the forefront of mobile‐learning advancements, and is the only learning solutions organization to achieve level 5 status in both the SEI‐CMM and P‐CMM frameworks.

Originality/value

The paper provides useful information from a leading provider of leaning solutions.
Performance measurement driving change: a case from the defence sector
Authors: MacBryde Jill , Paton Steve , Grant Neil , Bayliss Margaret
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study demonstrating the role of performance measurement systems (PMS) in driving strategic transformation.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a case study approach this paper analyses how Babcock Marine, a service provider to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), is using performance measurement as a catalyst to bring about strategic transformation at Her Majesty's Naval Base – Clyde. Transformation is required to facilitate a new public‐private sector contractual and financial relationship.

Findings

This paper highlights the differences between the use of PMS in static and dynamic (transformational) environments. It proposes that the balanced scorecard is a useful tool to monitor the pace of change and communicate the status of the change. It indicates that during the transformation program care must be taken to ensure that the measures used stay aligned with strategic objectives and that the balanced scorecard does not become cumbersome in terms of number of measures and administrative overhead. Finally it suggests that even in the absence of other critical success factors normally associated with transformation (such as a clear transformation plan and a strong ongoing communication mechanism), the balanced scorecard can provide structure and focus which will help to maintain the pace of change. It therefore demonstrates that the introduction of a performance management system can be complementary to the process of strategic transformation.

Originality/value

The paper provides empirical evidence of PMS supporting transformation even in the absence of other critical success factors normally associated with strategic transformation.
The fallacy of the context
Authors: Anderson Rick , Klaassen Henk
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to research the effectiveness of different forms of performance management and to trace the factors which influence these effectiveness. In order to better emphasize the context dimensions, it also aims to study two municipal processes in the Dutch public sector, i.e. treatment of building permits and the establishment of environmental policy papers.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyses 57 Dutch municipalities on performance management.

Findings

The research shows that management should not intervene nor should it focus on the process itself, contrary to what is normally thought and done. This study also points out that the type of management on output is more important for the effectiveness than the context of the processes. The conclusion may be drawn that process control will lead to less effectiveness in almost all cases. Effective output management should be confined to a combination of input and output control. Although the general management has the tendency to engage in the way processes are conducted, it will need to resist this tendency as much as possible. In addition, intermediate control is ineffective. In the investigated processes more capacity was needed when the general management exercised intermediate control, regardless of the mode. This conclusion is at odds with the widely endorsed desirability and need for intermediate control (monitoring). Controlex ante, in contrast, increases effectiveness in every case. The impression arises that opting for less control (onlyex anteand not on processes) makes the type of management more effective.

Originality/value

Output management will have to take the context into account, but also give decentralized managers sufficient degrees of freedom. In order to decentralize adequately, the correct type of management will need to be chosen. Although most authors endorse the importance of context and believe the possibility of output management to be almost completely dependent on this context, this study shows that the effectiveness of output management is virtually entirely dictated by the chosen type of management, no matter the context. The type of management allocating as much freedom to decentralized management as possible, offers the best basis for effective action. Paradoxically, general management could maximize its effectiveness by interfering as little as possible with the process at stake.
Reconceptualising e‐business performance measurement using an innovation adoption framework
Authors: Barnes David , Matthew Hinton C.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Previous empirical research into the performance measurement of exemplary e‐businesses has pointed to a lack of progress in developing distinctive performance metrics for e‐business and a failure to adopt best practice in performance management. The objective of this paper is to reconsider the evidence from that study by drawing on innovation adoption theories.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper re‐examines the findings from case study‐based research that investigated leading e‐business performance measurement practices. The study suggests that there are limitations in analysing the findings using normative best practice, the dominant paradigm within performance management. Given that e‐business innovation relies on the adoption of multiple technologies this paper reconsiders the findings using the conceptual perspective of the innovation adoption literature.

Findings

The study highlights the importance of individual, cognitive, social and cultural influences in an organisation's operating environment on its willingness to adapt performance measurement metrics for online business activities. The findings point to the benefits available from incorporating new theoretic perspectives in performance measurement research.

Research limitations/implications

The work points to a need to adopt a more context‐specific approach to the development of e‐business performance measurement. Furthermore, it indicates ways in which both the understanding and practice of performance measurement in e‐business can be advanced.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the limitations of current performance management literature as monopolised by normative best practice thinking, and argues for the need to incorporate other theoretical perspectives into performance management research.
A review on supply chain performance measures and metrics: 2000‐2011
Authors: Gopal P.R.C. , Thakkar Jitesh
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The paper reports a comprehensive review of supply chain performance measurement systems and raises a set of research issues leading to selected research questions.

Design/methodology/approach

The articles which have been published in selected peer‐reviewed international journals in the last ten years were collected by using databases Scopus and ISI Web of Knowledge. The articles were scrutinized based on authors' perspective analysis (using supply chain measures and metrics, and enhancing supply chain performance as the key perspectives). The articles contributing significantly in the domain of supply chain measures and metrics were selected for final review and various issues were identified.

Findings

The paper argues that, despite considerable evidence from the literature in supply chain performance measurement in recent years, there is a large scope for research to address the issues in supply chain performance measurement, including: characteristics of measures and metrics, benchmarking of measures, use of management practices, integration and partnership and socio‐environmental relevance.

Research implications/limitations

The insights deduced in the paper are primarily based on 28 articles selected for critical review and analysis in the domain of supply chain measures and metrics and hence should be interpreted only as key concerns in the area.

Originality/value

The paper reports an evaluation of 28 key articles reported in the domain of supply chain performance measurement and indicates the research opportunities in the area.
Measuring the success of a performance measurement system in Thai firms
Authors: Rompho Nopadol , Boon‐itt Sakun
Published: June 2012

Purpose

This study aims to identify what managers involved in the design of a performance measurement system (PMS) perceive are the attributes of a successful PMS.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 85 managers from Thai firms were interviewed to develop the proposed model to measure the success of a PMS. Results from 269 returned questionnaires from Thai managers were analysed by second order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

Findings

Based on the study's findings, success of PMS was categorised into two aspects: design success and implementation success. Using CFA the empirical data demonstrate a good fit with the proposed measurement model.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this study are based on the opinions of managers and therefore their accuracy is open to question. Adding non‐managerial perspectives might demonstrate another picture.

Practical implications

The findings could well be useful for managers in any organisation. They can assist the manager in judging whether or not the company's PMS is successful according to the discovered criteria. Use of these criteria could lead to better decision‐making in the design and implementation of a PMS framework in any organisation.

Originality/value

This study enhances the body of knowledge by defining what a successful PMS means to managers in Thai firms. The results of this study can be applied to any country, but perceptions of what is important could vary from country to country.
Productivity in a private charity
Authors: Tuttle Thomas C. , Chen Shengcheng
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Private philanthropy in China is an emerging element of civil society. This paper seeks to examine the role of productivity improvement in a private charity in the context of the relative roles of charities and private business in building a harmonious society. In addition, the paper aims to examine the philosophy of Capital Spirit proposed by Dr Lu Dezhi, founder of the Huamin Charity Foundation, as the basis for a Chinese model of private philanthropy.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study is based on an interview with Dr Lu Dezhi conducted in Beijing by the first author. The article is descriptive, but it also contains analysis of the approach described by Dr Lu in light of the World Confederation of Productivity Science model of SEE‐Productivity and previous history of efforts to shift management paradigms, e.g. quality management, etc.

Findings

Dr Lu provides a rational, systematic and philosophically grounded approach to creating and operating a private philanthropy in China. This model incorporates many of the key aspects of productivity science, including values‐based strategy, data‐based decision making, analysis and evaluation and continuous improvement. In a larger sense, Dr Lu outlines a philosophy that has the potential to shift the management paradigms of Chinese organizations to more sustainable practices.

Originality/value

The focus on productivity improvement in private philanthropy is a topic that is rarely discussed in the management literature. In addition, the approach taken to philanthropy by Dr Lu Dezhi and his philosophy of Capital Spirit as the basis for a “Chinese model” of philanthropy is unique. Finally, the discussion regarding the appropriate role of private sector businesses in an economy based on its stage of development is a unique contribution to the management literature. Contrasting this Chinese model with Western models provides a useful cultural contrast to examine this key question.
Tools for interdisciplinary design of pervasive computing
Authors: Forsyth Jason B. , Martin Thomas L.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

To be successful, pervasive computing requires a balance of computing, design, and business requirements to be considered throughout the design process. Achieving this synthesis requires a level of interdisciplinary design that is not present in current pervasive design tools. To understand the state of the art and provide insight to future tool designers, the purpose of this paper is to present a survey of design tools for pervasive computing and consider their ability to be used in interdisciplinary design.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have performed a survey of tools covering many areas within pervasive computing and have evaluated the abilities of each tool with established metrics for pervasive design tools.

Findings

While the paper has found many design tools are available for constructive pervasive applications, few are suitable through all phases of the design cycle or useful across all the intended application domains of pervasive computing.

Originality/value

This survey provides an understanding of the state of pervasive design tools, with regards to interdisciplinary design, which has not previously been performed. Additionally, the authors provide evaluations of the pervasive tools when used in an interdisciplinary setting. These evaluations provide insight to key metrics and allow tool designers to understand the needs of their intended audience.
Design and implementation of user context aware recommendation engine for mobile using Bayesian network, fuzzy logic and rule base
Authors: Thyagaraju G.S. , Kulkarni U.P.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose an intelligent service recommendation model. The paper formulates the service adaptation process by using artificial intelligence techniques like Bayesian Network, fuzzy logic and rule based reasoning.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors formulate the service adaptation process by using artificial intelligence techniques like Bayesian Network, fuzzy logic and rule based reasoning. Bayesian Network is used to classify the incoming call (high priority call, low priority call and unknown calls), fuzzy linguistic variables and membership degrees to define the context situations, the rules for adopting the policies of implementing a service, fitness degree computation and service recommendation. In addition to this the paper proposes maximum to minimum priority based context attributes matching algorithm for rule selection based on fitness degree of rules. The context aware mobile is tested for library and class room scenario to exemplify the proposed service recommendation engine and demonstrate its effectiveness.

Findings

First, it was found that there was reduction in application searching time in different contexts. For example, if user enters into the library, the proposed mobile will be adapted to the library situation automatically by configuring its desktop and internal settings to facilitate the library services like book search, web link, silent mode and friends search. Second, the design of the recommendation engine, utilizing contextual parameters like Location (class room, college campus, house, etc.) Personal (age, name), Temporal (time, date), Physical (fall, normal), and schedule agendas, was found to be of importance.

Originality/value

Exploitation of hybrid fuzzy system, Bayesian Networks and the utility theory (usage history and context history) for modeling and implementation.
A survey of distance‐based wireless sensor network localization techniques
Authors: Stone Kerri , Camp Tracy
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Localization is a fundamental problem in wireless sensor networks. In many applications, sensor location information is critical for data processing and meaning. While the global positioning system (GPS) can be used to determine mote locations with meter precision, the high hardware cost and energy requirements of GPS receivers often prohibit the ubiquitous use of GPS for location estimates. This high cost (in terms of hardware price and energy consumption) of GPS has motivated researchers to develop localization protocols that determine mote locations based on cheap hardware and localization algorithms. The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive review of wireless sensor network localization techniques, and provide a detailed overview for several distance‐based localization algorithms.

Design/methodology/approach

To provide a detailed summary of wireless sensor network localization algorithms, the authors outline a tiered classification system in which they first classify algorithms as distributed, distributed‐centralized, or centralized. From this broad classification, the paper then further categorizes localization algorithms using their protocol techniques. By utilizing this classification system, the authors are able to provide a survey of several wireless sensor network localization algorithms and summarize relative algorithm performance based on the algorithms' classification.

Findings

There are numerous localization algorithms available and the performance of these algorithms is dependent on network configuration, environmental variables, and the ranging method implemented. When selecting a localization algorithm, it is important to understand basic algorithm operation and expected performance. This tier‐based algorithm classification system can be used to gain a high‐level understanding of algorithm performance and energy consumption based on known algorithm characteristics.

Originality/value

Localization is a widely researched field and given the quantity of localization algorithms that currently exist, it is impossible to present a complete review of every published algorithm. Instead, the paper presents a holistic view of the current state of localization research and a detailed review of ten representative distance‐based algorithms that have diverse characteristics and methods. This review presents a new classification structure that may help researchers understand, at a high‐level, the expected performance and energy consumption of algorithms not explicitly addressed by our work.
A context management framework for context‐aware applications in mobile spaces
Authors: Chen Penghe , Sen Shubhabrata , Keng Pung Hung , Xue Wenwei , Choong Wong Wai
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The rapid proliferation of mobile context aware applications has resulted in an increased research interest towards developing specialized context data management strategies for mobile entities. The purpose of this paper is to aim to develop a new way to model mobile entities and manage their contexts accordingly.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes the concept of “Mobile Space” to model mobile entities and presents strategies to manage the various contexts associated therein. To handle availability related issues, two system services are designed: the “Availability Updating Service” which is an identifier based mechanism and is designed to keep track of mobile objects and handle availability related issues, and the “Application Callback Service” which is a publish/subscribe based mechanism to handle application disruptions and interruptions arising due to mobility.

Findings

The paper presents a detailed study of the proposed framework and a description of the underlying services and the components therein to validate the framework. Experimental results carried out in WiFi and 3G environments indicate that the proposed techniques can support mobile applications and minimize application disruptions with minimal overhead.

Originality/value

The proposed context management framework is generic in nature and is not designed for a specific class of applications. Any mobile context aware application can leverage on the framework and utilize the provided functionalities to manage application disruptions. Also, the decoupling of mobile application layer and the underlying context data management layer renders context data management layer transparent to the application design.
Concentrated short‐selling activity: bear raids or contrarian trading?
Authors: Blau Benjamin , Brough Tyler J.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate what is denoted as episodes of concentrated short‐selling activity, or consecutive days of abnormal short‐sale activity in a particular stock. The motivation to do so is two fold. First, US regulators and regulators in other countries have restricted short selling in order to protect the integrity of markets. Second, there is some conflicting academic research determining whether short sellers are manipulative in nature.

Design/methodology/approach

After defining these episodes by concentrated short selling, the paper examines returns before and after to determine whether these episodes target struggling stocks and whether these episodes predict negative returns.

Findings

Contrary to the argument that episodes of concentrated shorting activity target struggling stocks, it is found that these episodes follow periods of positive returns. Further, it is found that abnormal volatility and high trading volume also predict the occurrence of these episodes. These results suggest that concentrated shorting occurs in stocks that are increasing in price during periods of heterogeneity among investors expectations (Berkman et al.). It is also found that short sellers during bear raids are able to predict when prices reverse as returns become negative the day after the last day of the raid. Combined, the results suggest that bear raids by short sellers are important for the efficiency of markets.

Originality/value

The results from this study have important regulatory implications as well as implications regarding the informational efficiency of stock prices.
The anatomy of short sales and price adjustment: evidence from the Hong Kong stock market
Authors: Xiaobei Chen Crystal
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between excess returns and short sale activities under unexpected informed and uninformed short sales. It is found that in general, the unexpected informed short sale is a bearish signal and has a negative effect on excess returns, while the unexpected uninformed short sale is a bullish signal and has a positive effect on excess returns. It is also found that short sales of large‐cap and frequently traded stocks are more likely to be uninformed, whereas short sales of small‐cap and infrequently traded stocks are more likely to be informed.

Design/methodology/approach

Following Conrad's method, the paper differentiates between two short‐sale scenarios: the expected and the unexpected short sales. For the unexpected short sales, the author further differentiates between informed and uninformed short sales. The paper then anatomizes the process into three periods to study the whole process.

Findings

The results indicate that in general, the unexpected informed short sale is a bearish signal and has a negative effect on excess returns, while the unexpected uninformed short sale is a bullish signal and has a positive effect on excess returns. The paper also examines the stock characteristics under each scenario and finds that short sales of large‐cap stocks and frequently traded stocks are more likely to be uninformed, while short sales of small‐cap and low frequency stocks are more likely to be informed.

Originality/value

In contrast to Conrad, the paper uses daily short interest and trading data instead of bimonthly short interest data. This is the first contribution of this study. As Diether et al. have stated, it is important to study short‐selling activity at a higher frequency. Although Conrad focused on the price reaction prior to the short interest announcement day, this paper investigates the price reaction both prior to and following the short interest announcement day. This is the second contribution of this study. The third contribution of the paper involves anatomizing the short‐sale process into three periods and investigating the price movement.
Short sales in the NYSE batch open and NASDAQ opening cross
Authors: Paul Spurlin W. , Van Ness Bonnie F. , Van Ness Robert
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study short sales trading as part of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) batch open and National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) opening cross. The paper examines whether short transactions at the open can predict future returns.

Design/methodology/approach

The study tests to see if short transactions in the NYSE opening batch trade and NASDAQ opening cross are informative of future returns.

Findings

It is found that a stock's opening‐trade short volume is predictive of its short volume for the rest of trading day, positively related to its previous‐day price change, and positively related to its overnight price change at the opening trade on option‐expiration Fridays when the stock is part of the Standard and Poor (S and P) 500 index.

Originality/value

While previous research shows that intraday short sale trades are informative, this is the first paper to examine the opening trade of the day, and whether these short sales are informative.
Dynamic short‐sale constraints, price limits, and price dynamics
Authors: Lin Tse‐Chun
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to take advantage of a natural experiment in Taiwan to test the effect of short‐sales constraints on price dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

Since September 1998, short‐selling is banned at a price below the close price of the previous trading day. The new rule creates unique daily dynamics of short‐sales constraints. The paper employs a difference‐in‐difference method to evaluate whether the short‐sales constraint rule plays an important role in the price dynamics.

Findings

The results show that stock prices react to information in a way similar to if short‐selling was not banned. This is in line with the implication of a rational expectation framework like Diamond and Verrecchia.

Research limitations/implications

The paper has implications on the short selling bans in the 2008/2009 credit crisis and the European debt crisis because the bans are public information as those in this setting. The rational agents in the market could incorporate the bans into price beliefs which could lead to the ineffectiveness of the policy. The short‐sales constraints may be widely imposed in the crisis but they are not the effective tools to alleviate downward price pressures.

Practical implications

The results suggest that the effort of the government to boost stock price by imposing short sales constraints will not be effective if rational investors take the constraints into account while forming their beliefs.

Originality/value

Unlike existing short‐sales constraint proxies like short interest or lending fees, the dynamic constraints do not suffer from endogeneity. Moreover, the constraints are public information and thus ideal for testing the rational expectation models, in which investors have to be aware of the level of the constraints.
Religion, spirituality and entrepreneurship
Authors: Nwankwo Sonny , Gbadamosi Ayantunji , Ojo Sanya
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the intricate interconnection between religion, spirituality and pursuits of economic opportunities among ethnic entrepreneurs, using British Africans as a frame. Against the backcloth of institutional constraints confronting ethnic minorities, the paper investigates how African immigrants in the UK utilise ethnic‐based religious resources in the enactment of entrepreneurship. It focuses on the intersection between religion, spirituality, and entrepreneurship for the purpose of providing “below the surface” understandings of African entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

Rooted in the context of discovery rather than verification, the research approach involved the use of a focus group as an “entry point” in the collection of field data. This was followed up with one‐to‐one interviews so that key issues were then probed deeper whilst simultaneously allowing considerable scope to idiosyncratically explore particular meanings with research participants. The sample was drawn from British Africans in London.

Findings

African Pentecostal churches have become a significant force in nurturing business start‐ups and encouraging entrepreneurship among the population group. Social capital generated within the religious organizations has a catalytic effect on entrepreneurial propensities.

Research limitations/implications

The boundaries between enterprise and religion can be delicately thin and confusing, with wide‐ranging implications for policy interventions. For the entrepreneurs, reconciling religious orientation with the imperatives of entrepreneurship can be hugely problematic and this presents an opportunity in terms of support needs.

Originality/value

Ethnic‐based religious spaces have become a fecund ground for stimulating a brand of religion‐based ethnic entrepreneurship. This hybrid entrepreneurship is unique and offers a novel platform for constructing new understandings of ethnic entrepreneurship.
Influences on diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders among minority ethnic people in the UK
Authors: Chowbey Punita , Salway Sarah , Ismail Mubarak
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Evidence, though limited, suggests that UK minority ethnic individuals have lower referral rates for eating disorders than their White British counterparts. Missed or delayed diagnosis may be an important contributory factor. This paper seeks to identify key areas that require attention for early detection and treatment of eating disorders in minority ethnic people.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken was a community‐based qualitative study in Sheffield, England: interviews with relatives of people with eating disorders (n=3); key informant interviews (n=15); group discussions with community members aged 18‐24 (n=4, 24 participants).

Findings

Several factors appear to influence the recognition of, and response to, eating disorders among minority ethnic people with potential implications for timely diagnosis and treatment. Low public awareness was an important barrier to seeking medical attention. Norms and ideals relating to food and body image, as well as some religious practices, can also discourage prompt recognition of illness, though there is much diversity within and between families and communities. Some service providers can be slow to consider the possibility of eating disorders among minority ethnic individuals, while others lack confidence to deal with the needs of minority ethnic people. Poor past experiences with services also undermine people's willingness to engage with services.

Originality/value

The paper provides insights into socio‐cultural influences on the experiences of people living with eating disorders that require greater attention by services. Healthcare practitioners need enhanced awareness that eating disorders do affect minority ethnic people and greater confidence to engage with these patients to gain the information needed for prompt diagnosis and effective treatment.
Communicating with older people about positive mental health
Authors: Pettigrew Simone , Donovan Robert J. , Pescud Melanie , Newton Robert , Boldy Duncan
Published: June 2012

Purpose

In response to a call for greater attention to the mental health promotion needs of older people, this study aims to identify those aspects of mental health messages that may be particularly effective with older audiences.

Design/methodology/approach

Individual interviews and focus groups were conducted with 111 Australians aged 40 years and older.

Findings

A low level of knowledge relating to mental health issues and the confounding of mental health with mental illness resulted in participants stating a preference for health experts, government officials, and high‐profile and “everyday” individuals who have successfully recovered from mental illness as spokespeople for mental health messages. A common theme was that spokespersons should have evident and extensive knowledge of .mental illness, either through qualifications, occupation, or personal experience.

Originality/value

The findings demonstrate the highly negative connotations surrounding mental illness and the lack of familiarity with the concept of positive mental health. There is much scope to educate the public about the importance of staying mentally healthy and how this outcome may be achieved.
Inclusive dialogue: the way forward in anti‐stigma mental health education?
Authors: Lindley Emma
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Challenging the stigma of mental illness is a major public health concern. School‐based anti‐stigma education is in its infancy. Little attention has been given to the pedagogical structure of such education, and evidence shows some initiatives have been unsuccessful, or worse, increased stigma. This paper seeks to examine the impact of a novel approach to anti‐stigma education, which aims to overcome these problems, “inclusive dialogue”. It encourages young people to grapple with the complexities of mental illness, with emphasis on personal narratives rather than abstract concepts.

Design/methodology/approach

A small group of year 10 pupils participated in a series of inclusive dialogue sessions. Qualitative interviews with participants were conducted and their responses along with their contributions during the sessions were analysed.

Findings

Participants reported that taking part enhanced their confidence in talking about mental illness, increased their understanding and capacity for empathy towards others with mental health problems. They felt the understanding they gained was relevant to their lives and an important educational experience which they would carry forward into their adult lives.

Originality/value

Inclusive dialogue is a novel approach to education about mental illness which has been evaluated using innovative qualitative methods. It shows promise and requires further investigation.
Addressing the challenges of leading children's services in England: leadership in a changing environment
Authors: Purcell Martin E. , Christian Margaret , Frost Nick
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Following the passage of the Children Act, 2004, the leadership of children's services in England has been unified through the appointment of Directors of Children's Services. The role is demanding as it requires leading a range of services in each local authority, which are often subject to a high degree of public and political scrutiny. The change of government in May 2010 shifted the nature of these challenges by reforming the guidance to local authorities and by placing restrictions on local authority expenditure. This paper aims to explore the skills required by leaders in this complex and changing environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on the findings of a scoping study conducted for the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services and describes and analyses the skills and capabilities required by leaders of children's services in England.

Findings

The paper offers a view of what might constitute “effective” leadership, and the skills needed to meet the requirements of improving the lives of children and young people.

Originality/value

The paper offers an analysis of the way in which interventions to enhance leadership in this area might contribute to better outcomes for children and young people in the future in an era of significant change following the formation of the UK Coalition government in May 2010.
Are the people who take part in randomised controlled trials real? A response to Stewart‐Brown et al.
Authors: Forrester Donald
Published: June 2012

Purpose

This paper's aim is to explore the uses and limitations of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for evaluating complex interventions, with a particular focus on sample recruitment and retention issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an invited critique of a previous paper.

Findings

RCTs have many limitations. It is particularly important to consider issues relating to the sample they recruit and retain. Nonetheless, they remain a uniquely powerful way to exclude other potential explanations for outcomes and therefore provide robust evidence for the effectiveness of specific interventions.

Originality/value

It is hoped that vigorous debate may contribute to a deepened understanding of the nature, limitations and potential contribution of RCTs to understanding the impact of different ways of helping people.
Using the proper tool for the task: RCTs are the gold standard for estimating programme effects – a response to Stewart‐Brown et al.
Authors: Ritter Gary W.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The article's purpose is to critique a paper (Stewart‐Brown et al., 2011) in a previous issue of the Journal of Children's Services, which challenges the utility of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effectiveness of preventive interventions for children.

Design/methodology/approach

The article is a critical reflection on the primary issue discussed by Stewart‐Brown et al. namely that RCTs do not work well in the evaluation of complex social interventions.

Findings

The author finds fault with several of the claims made in the earlier essay and concludes that RCTs remain the most credible research methodology for estimating programme impacts. It is certainly true that RCTs do not tell us everything about programmes and implementation. However, if researchers are attempting to assess whether social interventions have the intended measured impact on their participants, then RCTs do indeed represent the “gold standard” research design.

Originality/value

The article is a re‐assertion of the value of RCTs in research on preventive interventions in children's services.
More thoughts on the RCT question: a rejoinder to Forrester and Ritter
Authors: Stewart‐Brown Sarah
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The paper's purpose is to participate in a debate about the role of randomised controlled trials in evaluation of preventive interventions for children.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a response to critiques on Stewart‐Brown et al. published in the Journal of Children's Services, Vol. 6 No. 4, pp. 228–35.

Findings

Randomised controlled trials are likely to be at their best in the evaluation of interventions that do not require the active engagement and personal development of participants. The latter may depend on a series of interventions and events that potentiate each other over time. Randomised controlled trials are likely to be least valuable in evaluating universal level interventions that aim to change population norms. Because of the challenges involved in conducting RCTs in this setting they cannot be relied upon to give accurate estimates of programme effect and therefore do not deserve the privileged position that has been accorded them in the hierarchy of evidence.

Originality/value

This paper develops the argument that the privileged position of RCTs in the evidence hierarchy of preventive services for children is undeserved.
Narrative analysis of Dale Carnegie's How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
Authors: Hayek Mario , Novicevic Milorad M. , Buckley M. Ronald , Clayton Russell W. , Roberts Foster
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how one of Dale Carnegie's historically best selling self‐help books, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, resonates with the contemporary conceptualization of psychological capital (PsyCap).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a narrative historical interpretation to analyze Dale Carnegie's book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. Initially, two of the co‐authors independently identified passages mirroring each of the four PsyCap capacities, while in the final stage a consensus on the interpretation was reached with the remaining co‐authors.

Findings

The components of the PsyCap construct resonate well with the prescriptions that Carnegie narrated and outlined in his best selling book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study should be interpreted with a recognition that an alternative critical approach to narrative analysis could have been conducted based on the narrative logic of social power structure.

Originality/value

This paper is unique in placing an emphasis on the insights researchers and practitioners alike can gain by re‐evaluating the self‐help books from the past.
Groupthink and the Sanhedrin
Authors: Schnall Eliezer , Greenberg Michael J.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Despite the emphasis on contemporary historical case studies in groupthink research, Janis believed that examining decision‐making processes recorded in antiquity was also relevant. However, neither Janis nor other groupthink researchers have adequately explored the model among decision‐making bodies described in earlier history. The current paper aims to begin to fill this gap by analyzing the judicial and legislative body of ancient Israel, known as the “Sanhedrin,” in the context of Janis's groupthink model.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors focus on classic Jewish rabbinic sources such as the Mishna, Talmud, and writings of Maimonides, exploring the functioning of the Sanhedrin, the authoritative body of ancient Israel, in the context of Irving Janis's groupthink model.

Findings

The authors highlight the insightful ways the Sanhedrin's members may have avoided groupthink and the symptoms of defective decision‐making that have plagued other groups.

Research limitations/implications

The authors' analysis enables them to further understand the rationale behind many of the Sanhedrin's unique regulations, granting insight into an important and authoritative ancient group.

Practical implications

This analysis of the Sanhedrin's procedures also highlights multiple practical ways that Janis's ideas and prescriptions may be implemented by juries, modern day managers, and organizational bodies.

Originality/value

The authors are the first to explore the functioning of the Sanhedrin in the context of the groupthink model, highlighting the insightful ways its members may have avoided the symptoms of defective decision‐making that have plagued other groups. Their approach should be of interest to researchers and theorists in both the fields of management and history. Importantly, they include practical application relevant to the science of modern organizational behavior.
The personification of an object and the emergence of coaching
Authors: Stec Deryk
Published: June 2012

Purpose

This article aims to place the emergence of coaching in its appropriate historical context and address the lack of historical attention given to this subject. In tracing the path the coach has taken in becoming a management concept, the article seeks to draw attention to its unique history as an object that has been transformed into a popular management concept.

Design/methodology/approach

This article reviews how coaching has been portrayed in various books, articles and research papers since appearing as a transportation object in the 15th century.

Findings

The coach began as a technology used for transportation, evolved into an object that was associated with a type of status and then became a prominent character in sport, before ultimately becoming an influential management concept. Across historical periods discussions of coaching have tended to involve individuals who experience coaching. A consistent feature of these discussions is the issue of professionals and professionalism.

Research limitations/implications

It is difficult to determine the date when our contemporary notions of the coach were first discussed, as these discussions originally involved slang, and a lag exists between talking about coaching and writing about it.

Practical implications

Concerns have been raised in the management discipline regarding the influence of research on practice and as advocates of coaching seek professional and scientific legitimacy, this historical review offers a perspective that can enhance discussions of these issues.

Originality/value

This paper places the popularity of this concept within a historical context that outlines how the idea of coaching evolved from a form of technology to a concept associated with a wide array of management topics.