title: Using quality of life to assess performance in the disability services sector

authors: Kober, Ralph

subjects: competitive employment

abstract: Measurement of performance is extremely important for not-for-profit agencies in terms of measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of agencies in achieving their goals. Performance indicators assist managers of agencies in strategic decision making and in fulfilling their accountability obligations for the best use of limited resources. This paper argues that not-for-profit agencies that serve people with intellectual disabilities can use quality of life as one measure of agency and/or program performance. This is demonstrated with reference to research conducted on the effect of different methods of employment on the quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities. Effectiveness of agencies and/or programs can be assessed based on comparisons of quality of life outcomes under different methods of employment or by reference to absolute percentage of scale maximum scores and whether homeostasis is defeated.

text: Using quality of life to assess performance in the disability services sector Measurement of performance is extremely important for not-for-profit agencies in terms of measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of agencies in achieving their goals. Performance indicators assist managers of agencies in strategic decision making and in fulfilling their accountability obligations for the best use of limited resources. This paper argues that not-for-profit agencies that serve people with intellectual disabilities can use quality of life as one measure of agency and/or program performance. This is demonstrated with reference to research conducted on the effect of different methods of employment on the quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities. Effectiveness of agencies and/or programs can be assessed based on comparisons of quality of life outcomes under different methods of employment or by reference to absolute percentage of scale maximum scores and whether homeostasis is defeated.

year: 2006

title: The impact of national cultures on structured knowledge transfer

authors: Chen, Jihong

subjects: China

abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of national culture on the structured knowledge transfer from a US-based (onshore) technical support center to an offshore support center in China. 
Design/methodology/approach – The research was conducted as an interpretive case study. Three techniques (i.e. document review, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews) were employed for data collection in the field. 
Findings – The findings identify that knowledge tacitness, knowledge gaps, cultural and communication difficulties and weak relationships were the critical barriers to successful knowledge transfer in a cross-cultural knowledge transfer context. It was found that, when a provider and a recipient are located in different individualism/collectivism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance cultural dimensions, there will be a reduced likelihood of successful knowledge transfer in a structured knowledge transfer process. However, peer-to-peer help, close relationships and proactive learning may assist in decreasing the knowledge transfer difficulties. 
Research limitations/implications – The research was limited to one organization in one industry (the IT support industry) and in one country (China). There could be both industry-specific issues and national cultural issues that may affect the findings and conclusions. However, the paper has important practical implications for organizations that are trying to carry out transfer of organizational knowledge or to acquire organizational knowledge in a cross-cultural business context. 
Originality/value – The findings provide insight into the cultural issues implicated in the structured knowledge transfer process, when a knowledge provider and a recipient are from different cultural dimensions, as well as offering more general insight into the mechanism of knowledge transfer in the cross-cultural business context.

text: The impact of national cultures on structured knowledge transfer Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of national culture on the structured knowledge transfer from a US-based (onshore) technical support center to an offshore support center in China. 
Design/methodology/approach – The research was conducted as an interpretive case study. Three techniques (i.e. document review, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews) were employed for data collection in the field. 
Findings – The findings identify that knowledge tacitness, knowledge gaps, cultural and communication difficulties and weak relationships were the critical barriers to successful knowledge transfer in a cross-cultural knowledge transfer context. It was found that, when a provider and a recipient are located in different individualism/collectivism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance cultural dimensions, there will be a reduced likelihood of successful knowledge transfer in a structured knowledge transfer process. However, peer-to-peer help, close relationships and proactive learning may assist in decreasing the knowledge transfer difficulties. 
Research limitations/implications – The research was limited to one organization in one industry (the IT support industry) and in one country (China). There could be both industry-specific issues and national cultural issues that may affect the findings and conclusions. However, the paper has important practical implications for organizations that are trying to carry out transfer of organizational knowledge or to acquire organizational knowledge in a cross-cultural business context. 
Originality/value – The findings provide insight into the cultural issues implicated in the structured knowledge transfer process, when a knowledge provider and a recipient are from different cultural dimensions, as well as offering more general insight into the mechanism of knowledge transfer in the cross-cultural business context.

year: 2010

title: Mouri matters Contextualizing mouri in Māori health discourse

authors: Penehira, Mera

abstract: The vision statement of Te Reo o Taranaki, “Tuku reo, tuku mouri: language, culture, crossing generations”, embodies the essence of an understanding of mouri which goes beyond the simple dictionary translations of “life force” or “life essence”. Indeed, there are numerous oral narratives—whakataukī (proverbs), waiata (songs), haka (dance), karanga (ceremonial call), whaikōrero (formal speech), karakia (prayers and incantations)—from the present day to our earliest records of Māori history that engage the notion of mouri. The purpose of this paper is to examine current understandings of mouri and, by linking the concept with linguistic, cultural and intergenerational terms—as in the Taranaki example—it will be argued that mouri is something of significance to our “being” and to our wellbeing.

text: Mouri matters Contextualizing mouri in Māori health discourse The vision statement of Te Reo o Taranaki, “Tuku reo, tuku mouri: language, culture, crossing generations”, embodies the essence of an understanding of mouri which goes beyond the simple dictionary translations of “life force” or “life essence”. Indeed, there are numerous oral narratives—whakataukī (proverbs), waiata (songs), haka (dance), karanga (ceremonial call), whaikōrero (formal speech), karakia (prayers and incantations)—from the present day to our earliest records of Māori history that engage the notion of mouri. The purpose of this paper is to examine current understandings of mouri and, by linking the concept with linguistic, cultural and intergenerational terms—as in the Taranaki example—it will be argued that mouri is something of significance to our “being” and to our wellbeing.

year: 2011