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Developing dynamic feedback mechanisms in the work culture of Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre
No full textIn partnership with Cornerstone Family Violence Prevention Centre (Cornerstone), the question explored in this thesis was, “How might the development of dynamic feedback mechanisms cultivate learning, collaboration, and inclusivity in the work culture of Cornerstone?”. A cycle of action research was completed, using methods of inquiry that aligned with a specific action research model, and an appreciative inquiry approach stimulated dialogue and critical thinking through a collaborative process. Methods of research used in the project were conducted virtually and adhered to Royal Roads University’s Ethics Policy. Fourteen Cornerstone staff engaged in the two-phased inquiry through small group sessions and individual interviews. Discussions led to reflective and insightful understanding as participants addressed the complexities of how best to give and receive feedback throughout the levels of organization and co-create lasting change in their culture. I used inductive and deductive analyses and applied values coding to the data. Five themes emerged from the data which reflected two key areas about giving and receiving feedback – impacts on the processes in learning organizations and the interconnected behaviours that influence the functioning of feedback mechanisms. The conclusions and subsequent recommendations offered actions that Cornerstone could undertake to strengthen connectivity between staff through dynamic feedback mechanisms
A 40 year (contextualized) social work journey
No full textThis article was originally published as: Schmid, J. (2022). A 40 year (contextualized) social work journey. Qualitative Social Work, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/14733250221075757Employing critical autoethnography, this article conveys how over my four decades of social work, I have come to adopt a contextualized social work stance and identifies what emerge as four key areas of contextualized social work. These include attention to race, ethnicity and culture as experienced in the local environment, the local articulation of social conditions and appropriate social work responses, the activation of local knowledge generation and curation, and finally, addressing and resisting expert power. Such theorization of contextualized social work augments previous work that positions contextualized social work as countering dominant conceptualizations of social work and instead centering on a critical interrogation of the local, foregrounding local understandings of social conditions, and privileging local/(i)Indigenous knowledge production and ways of doing and being. This critical understanding of context unsettles dominant notions of context by focusing on power relationships. I hope that my story will add to the growing discussion regarding alternative modes of practice and education that counter dominant Westernized individualized social work perspectives and promote decolonized approaches.https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25702/SchmidQSW2022.pdf?sequence=
Trouble in paradise: An exploration of housing on Hornby Island
No full textAcross British Columbia, housing is becoming less available and less affordable. Nestled in the Salish Sea within the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, Hornby Island is no exception. With 1104 dwellings and 1016 residents, one might be surprised to learn that this community is experiencing a housing crisis. The present conditions are the result of various factors including the island’s desirability as a tourist destination and the land use planning authorities’ mandate. While many communities are scrambling to increase their supply and diversity of housing, Hornby Island’s policy and regulatory framework largely prohibits further development. High demand from non-residents means that local incomes no longer afford local homes. The result is a community with decreasing resiliency that cannot safely, adequately, or affordably house its residents. This research explores the island’s current housing needs, why those needs are not being met, and what can be done to address these needs.https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/26066/ChezenkoThesis.pdf:?sequence=3Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Social Sciences, Vancouver Island University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Community Planning (MCP)
“Beautiful Disaster” : intrapersonal communication, emotional regulation, and the influence of culture in adults diagnosed with ADHD
No full textAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a mental disorder grounded in the inability to regulate emotions and emotional responses and can “lead to functional impairment” (Niina et al., 2022, p. 822). Specifically, ADHD is a disorder of inhibition (Barkley, 2013). Most research focuses on cause and effect and the clinical aspects of management in affected children, overlooking the fact that approximately 85% will carry the affliction into adulthood. Fundamental in western culture is an ability to effectively engage in intrapersonal communication, to self-regulate and pause between stimulus and response, and to plan for future goals. In other words, people living with ADHD are impaired in predicting what will happen next based on what has happened in the past. Few studies view ADHD through the lens of communication, and even fewer look at the issue as an intrapersonal communication challenge. This thesis provides a window into the lived experience of adults with ADHD by utilizing an Arts Based Research filmic, artistic-interpretive approach, (which assumes that social reality is constructed through experience and language), and narrative inquiry. Additionally, my theoretical perspective is informed by social behaviouralist George Mead (2015) and the psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1987) in that both view human cognition as inherently social.
I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 43. My own battle with emotional regulation, and cognition were catalysts to the conceptualization of this study. The study employed an Arts Based Research film editing reduction process that allowed the direction of the film to develop naturally, and phenomenological interviews reveal the personal experiences of adults with ADHD in relation to their own intrapersonal communication. Additionally, it was a process of self-discovery, revealing how it feels living with the disorder in a culture in which ADHD is heavily stigmatized. However, this process is inherently subjective, and therefore this study
looks to find shared experience surrounding culture, authenticity, emotional regulation and self talk in the participants, but is limited to these findings, and is not intended to generalize the data but “to provide a rich, contextualized understanding” (Paolit & Beck, 2010, p. 1452) of the lived experience of ADHD Adults.
Keywords: ADHD, intrapersonal communication, authenticity, reflexivity, culture, emotional regulation, stigm
Children’s literature as a bridge for social justice education: building understanding, acceptance, and kindness in diverse primary classrooms
No full textWhile the literature is clear that teaching issues of social justice to young children leads to deeper understanding of self, others, and the world, social justice instruction is not happening enough in primary grades. Studies show that educators value the importance of teaching empathy and compassion-building for positive classroom environments and reducing bullying behaviours, but barriers to instruction, including lack of professional development, opportunities for collaboration, and the complex nature of some social justice topics for young children, make it difficult to teach. Despite this, issues of social justice can be taught to children, and this instruction needs to start earlier. Children’s literature is one way to teach young learners about appreciation and understanding of others, leading to greater awareness of the diversity found in our classrooms, schools, and communities. This collaborative action research study investigated the research questions: How can we improve our attention to social justice, belonging, and acceptance through children’s literature in the primary classroom? How can collaboration build confidence and competence in primary educators to integrate social justice education in their teaching practice? Results of this study and participant feedback indicated that collaboration helped to build teachers’ confidence and competence in shifting their practice to include topics of social justice. There was a positive affect to participants’ pedagogy and curriculum offerings to students. This study has demonstrated that educators would like more professional development and authentic collaboration opportunities to equip them with the knowledge and skills to address controversial issues and resolve conflict as well as better address issues of diversity and social justice in the primary classroom. The findings from this study may be transferable to other contexts, including primary educators wishing to implement social justice through children’s literature to support empathy and compassion-building among students and to promote safe and caring schools.https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25747/Menard.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=
Cultivation and development of wisdom contributing to wise organizations and wise leaders
No full textThis research addresses the notion of developing and fostering wisdom at an executive level within a business context - ultimately illuminating foundational business requirements supporting wisdom development practices and behaviours amongst business leaders. The research contributes to a wisdom development action framework designed to increase and support wisdom at the organizational and leader level as well as highlighting the complexity of researching the concept of wisdom within a business context. The literature supports the need for wisdom development within a business context.
Designed as Abductive Phenomenological Comparative Case Study research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior leaders currently working within, or recently retired from, Canadian organizations. Those interviewed have been identified as “wise leaders” by those who have witnessed and experienced their leadership in action. The study purpose was to explore and learn how these leaders saw their own wise leadership demonstrated, and to determine what could have contributed to their wisdom development. The study also considered other observations these wise leaders have about the development and fostering of wisdom based on their work with others. Selected from an extensive review of the literature on wisdom, the study was framed by wisdom definitions from Hays (2007, 2017) and Kolodinsky & Bierly (2013).
A second source of data was the semi-structured interviews conducted with the referral sources of these ‘wise’ leaders. Behaviours, traits, and/or actions observed, and seen as adding to these leaders being referred to as wise were captured, such that nominees were confirmed to be wise relative to each other and as identified by the literature.
This research supports intentional wisdom development, irrespective of the age or experience of the leader or potential leader.
Keywords: wisdom, executive leadership, wise leaders, wisdom development, organizational wisdom, wisdom characteristics
Promoting nurse-patient therapeutic relationship in the Patient Assessment and Transition to Home unit at Peace Arch Hospital
No full textNurse–patient therapeutic relationships (NPTR) have the potential to contribute to optimal health conditions for patients and facilitate quality and effective nursing care; however, there is not always a commitment and focus on NPTR practice. This action-oriented inquiry engaged nursing staff at the Patient Assessment and Transition to Home (PATH) unit at Peace Arch Hospital (PAH) to explore through an appreciative orientation the overarching research question: How might the nursing staff enhance the nurse–patient therapeutic relationship in the PATH unit? Engaging nursing staff through a series of stringed Liberating Structures revealed that the nursing staff are practicing NPTR through diverse and complementary ways, such as building rapport, honest communication, being empathetic, and going above and beyond the assigned responsibility. In addition, situational and systemic factors help nurture NPTR in practice, including staff education and collaboration, patient willingness, and time availability. However, participants also revealed an enhanced emphasis on NPTR is needed to improve patient care, staff well-being and reduce operational costs. The research concludes offering action-oriented recommendations to support an ongoing commitment to NPTR and enhanced NPTR practice
Motivation, engagement, and effectiveness of serious games for teaching cyber security and database defense
No full textThis study uses an exploratory case study methodology, employing a mixed methods approach to explore the merits of a serious game, called Database Defender, to improve motivation, engagement, and learning of cybersecurity topics specifically database threats, database backup, and recovery. Results from Likert scale, open-ended questions, and interview responses show that game-based learning can be an effective way to increase or maintain a high level of motivation, be highly engaging, be very enjoyable, and reinforce knowledge taught in class on the topic of database defense to higher education students. Pre-test and post-test score differences showed no statistical significance between the control and game groups. However, student responses on the post-test indicated that students in the game group (as compared to the control group) demonstrated a better understanding and remembered the aspects of database defense, which the game sought to teach. This study fills a gap in the literature applying digital game-based learning to the specific topic of cybersecurity and database defense and to a specific audience of higher education students
Appreciating an engaged Alberta Health : increasing employee engagement in Alberta Health using appreciative inquiry
No full textThis study attempted to understand how an appreciative inquiry approach could improve employee engagement in Alberta Health. A review of the literature on employee engagement (including engagement in the public service), the drivers of employee engagement, and appreciative inquiry supported this research study. This qualitative research allowed participants to identify what positive characteristics of the organization lead to increased employee engagement and which of these elements could be actioned as part of a strategy to increase engagement. This research adhered to the Royal Roads University Research Ethics Policy and was conducted in a way to minimize potential harms to participants.
A modified full-day appreciative inquiry summit and a follow-up survey generated the data for this study. The study found that participants were more engaged when trust is high between employees and between employees and organizational leaders, when employees feel empowered to act within an organizational vision, when their skills are recognized and tracked, and when the organization offers opportunities to use and enhance their skills by working outside of their normal work areas. Recommendations for the organization to increase employee engagement based on the results of this study include: (a) establish a whole-of-organization mentorship program that offers short-term networking opportunities between senior leaders and employees; (b) implement a skills inventory system specific for employees of Alberta Health; (c) implement a process that allows staff deployment to other areas of the department for short-term projects and exchanges; and (d) engage employees in business planning processes, including the divisional business plans that are separate from the broader government planning cycle
Importance of wellness in the tourism industry : a millennial perspective
No full textThis paper aims to explore the demand for wellness tourism and how it has grown in the last decade. This growth is in part due to increased stress levels from various factors. Some of these factors are heightened stress in society such as COVID-19 and high inflation, people working longer hours, unhealthy lifestyles, and higher obesity rates. The study focused on the demographic cohort known as millennials, ranging from 25 to 40 years of age. Millennials are projected to account for 75 percent of consumers and travelers by 2025 globally. The study aimed to determine how Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO) can rethink their approaches for targeting millennial consumers and travelers and the preferences of Canadian millennials specifically related to their perceptions and their needs from wellness tourism within Canada.
The material presented in the literature review represents the relevance of wellness, wellness in tourism, the importance of wellness in Canada, the impact of COVID-19, and millennials' characteristics and influence on tourism.
The study uses a qualitative approach for interviews with DMOs on how to approach their marketing strategies and a mix-method approach on surveys for millennials on how they perceive wellness tourism. The qualitative research assisted in identifying the elements of millennial travel and DMO's influence in marketing to the demographic.
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was the critical component in developing the questions for the interview and survey. The questions focused on AI's four D's: Dream, Destiny, Discovery, and Design. The purpose of AI is to help anticipate if the best-case scenario occurred more frequently within the wellness tourism industry in Canada instead of analyzing problems. The data gathered produced a list of the critical factors pertaining to millennial consumer and travel behavior, the importance of wellness tourism for the millennial demographic, and DMO's marketing techniques to target millennial travelers within Canada. Additionally, the data also produced recommendations for the future of wellness and tourism