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Service changes’ impact on outpatient nurses and health care assistants
Get PDFThis study investigated the impact of service changes on nurses and healthcare assistants’ job motivation and wellbeing, in outpatient services within a large London acute healthcare organisation. While previous studies have focused on nurse staffing in inpatient settings, outpatient nurses are under-researched (Adynski et al., 2022). Three research questions were explored to seek answers to the research problem which included: How would the outpatient nurses and healthcare assistants be supported and motivated during and after service changes?
Based on a relativist ontological stance, a qualitative descriptive methodology grounded the choice of phenomenological approach for this study. Purposive sampling was used for the recruitment of outpatient nursing staff working within three main sites of the reseracher’s organisation. Eighteen participants took part in virtual audio-transcribed semi-structured interviews, which occurred during the surge period of COVID-19 pandemic. Data were initially analysed using NVIVO12 database tool followed by Colaizzi's (1978) phenomenological method. The qualitative data was triangulated with the NHS Staff Survey (2021-2022).
Four main themes were generated from the qualitative data as follows: (1) New ways of working with increased nurse-led autonomous activities; (2) lack of staff training and development with perceived limited career progression opportunities; (3) Staff experience during redeployment COVID-19 redeployment; (4) Staff perceived lack of management and leadership support.
The findings suggest that two out of the eighteen participants had access to learning and development, which enhanced their job motivation and wellbeing. However, sixteen participants reported lack of access to training and development opportunities due to lack of Training Needs Analysis (TNA). TNA is an essential mechanism for staff to engage in their Continuous Professional Development (CPD) (Dening et al., 2019). Despite the frequent service changes and the outpatient nurses' indelible roles, there was little or no distinct career pathway leading to; lack of job motivation and professional mobility
The future of corporate learning and development in technology accelerating organisations
Get PDFEvery year, global organisations allocate massive resources to learning and development (L&D) to prepare their employees for the challenges that lie ahead. According to research conducted by Beroe in 2021, the global learning and development market size was worth 402 billion by 2025. I sought to analyse this investment by L&D in the context of new and growing tech organisations.
My research sought to analyse the introduction, role, structure, and contribution of the corporate L&D function and determine whether it adequately meets the needs of accelerating organisations. I define these as technology-driven businesses in a context of start-ups, scale-ups and hyper-growth.
Grounded on fieldwork conducted at the height of the global pandemic, my research has two core objectives. First, I sought to identify the conditions under which the introduction or formalization an L&D function could boost growth and productivity in an accelerating organisation and the adequacy of current L&D models and methods to support this process, and second, the L&D skill set required to achieve these aims.
The corporate L&D function is socially constructed, as learning leaders primarily draw from each other’s experience, expertise and knowledge. For this reason, my research follows a qualitative research approach based on a bricolage of semi-structured interviews and professional conversations with corporate heads of learning, chief people officers, thought leaders and industry analysts.
Through these interactions, I gathered data on learning functions in already accelerated organisations, including when they were introduced, their initial purpose, and their evolution in supporting the company’s growth. These conversations yielded rich insight on innovative approaches and methodologies that could serve as a guide for rapidly accelerating organisations as they navigate the complexities of developing their workforce whilst addressing the challenges inherent in a rapid growth trajectory.
At the same time, research participants gave me a front-row view of their organisation’s employee base, how it interacts with technology, and the benefits of incorporating a managed L&D function to enhance organisational outcomes. Finally, I compared and contrasted the competencies of L&D professionals currently operating in this space with the insights shared by my research subjects. In this way, I aim to establish how the L&D function can optimally contribute to preparing the workforce of the future and support organisational development in the accelerating technology space
Testing a seven-approach strategic management model for business success in practice
Get PDFAims and objectives
The purpose of my DBA research project is to test a strategic management model on a water-bottling company located in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The project’s impact should be observed in four main objectives. The first objective is to turnaround the performance of the company leading to profitability and better return on investment (ROI). This will be achieved through equipping the company with a model that utilises effective strategic tools to run the business more efficiently. It, in turn, allows for predictive crisis-management rather than managing by crisis.
The second main objective pertains my personal professional advancement. The success of the project will add to my track record of turning around companies’ performances. In addition, I will realize a lifelong dream of obtaining the doctorate designation in a field I am passionate about.
The third main objective is novel and useful contribution to the knowledge in the field. This will start by designing and testing a strategic model that can be followed to boost the performance of a local Saudi company. The importance of this is due to the obvious lack in the research literature highlighting the impact of strategic management on companies in KSA. In addition, the success of my seven-approach strategic model will not only impact the water-bottling company tested, it can be utilized in any other businesses in different industries, sizes, and countries. The model also addresses the ‘insider’ versus ‘outsider’ predicament by eliminating the embedded culture and unifying the language within the departments of the company leading to better synergies and cooperation.
The final objective is to make strategic management a fundamental pillar in any company in developing nations. KSA is a country where numerous local and privately-owned businesses do not place enough emphasis on strategic management. Thus, I hope that my project would affect other companies and policy makers to ensure that strategic management is the norm in any business; regardless of industry or size
Integration and minority fiqh: the halāl to harām ratio
Get PDFMinority Fiqh, (fiqh al-‘aqalliyyāt), has been theorised by Taha Jabir al-Alwani to assist minority Muslims, particularly in a Western setting, to be able to integrate in society, as in the maxim, “integration without assimilation.” This thesis examines how a selection of Muslims in America interprets and practices Islamic jurisprudence and whether there are similarities to the theoretical fiqh al-aqalliyat. Through a qualitative study of Muslims interviewed in Jacksonville, Florida, this thesis examines how Muslims in the community interpret sharī‘ah, and its purposes (maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah) as it directly relates to them and integration. It is discussed and analysed in comparison to the traditional/taqlīd approach as well as fiqh al-aqaliyat in ordet to shed light on similarities and differences.
A two-fold model of integration is assessed, which first incorporates Muslims’ behaviour modification (body), educational efforts (soul), and emotional connection (heart) with the surrounding society. Second, the host society, into which the Muslim-Americans are integrating, is evaluated by acceptance either of ethnicity, cultural traditions and/or religious values of the other. This thesis contributes to the discussion of fiqh al-‘aqalliyyāt to discuss and analyse whether there are similarities found among the respondents practices and views within their context, spanning the gap between al-Alwani’s theory of a fiqh that assists integration and lived experience. Through this process, another model of Muslim integration is proposed of overlapping elements of integration. This also adds to the data involving Muslims of Jacksonville, Florida
Linking top managers' behavioural traits with business practices and firm performance
Get PDFWe embed an experiment in an ongoing firm-level panel survey with a sample of 623 firms managed by their owners to explore the role of top managers’ behavioral traits as drivers of corporate strategies and performance. We find that present biased managers are less likely to invest in business practices, leading to lower sales revenue. Younger managers are more patient and less risk-averse than older ones, and they play a more significant role in improving firm performance than their counterparts. Interestingly, we find compelling evidence that business practices play a crucial role as a mediating mechanism through which managers’ present bias and loss aversion affect firm performance
Analyse und Strukturierung von Geschäftsprozessen in der deutschen Entsorgungsbranche unter besonderer Berücksichtigung digitaler Technologien
No full textThe waste management industry is bound by a large number of national and international legislations that must be taken into account when delivering waste management services. In addition, there are different requirements from private and commercial customers as well as from municipalities with which the companies are in permanent exchange - concerning the scope of process optimization as well as in the area of technologies and digitalization. Thus, a continuous further development of the business processes in combination with the associated technology is necessary in order to be able to exist on the complex market of waste management in the long term and to be able to serve the constantly increasing requirements under the aspect of economic efficiency and sustainability. Due to the waste management industry, a further difficulty is that, in addition to the economic aspect, the social aspect and the ecological aspect must also be permanently considered.
Within the scope of the dissertation, qualitative research methods were used to scientifically investigate how digital technologies can be implemented and used at waste management companies, taking into account method triangulation. The findings of the individual methods were then combined and validated.
The survey methodology was, on the one hand, a case study in a waste management company in order to obtain an overview of the current processes in waste management companies, to query the digitization status and then to develop a case-specific strategy with further digitization steps for the company. In a second step, semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with leading employees from various waste disposal companies in Germany according to a defined interview design. In this way, the processes of the value chain, the opportunities and risks as well as the success factors of digitization could finally be worked out and confirmed. In addition, as a result, implementation strategies of digitization in waste management companies can still be pointed out.
Based on the empirical findings, a key figure-based evaluation model for measuring the success of digital solutions in waste management companies was also developed.
The work can now be used for adaptation in waste management practice or be the basis for further research in the waste management industry
Die Möglichkeit der Risikominimierung von Geldwäsche und Terrorismusfinanzierung durch die verpflichtende Einführung einer einheitlichen Bargeldobergrenze im Nichtfinanzsektor innerhalb der Europäischen Union
No full textWithin this research project, the restriction of whether cash transactions within the non-financial sector through the introduction of mandatory cash ceilings can contribute to minimizing the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing within the European Union was investigated.
At the time this dissertation was written, no valid statements were available as to whether and in what form the restriction of cash transactions through cash ceilings can represent suitable money laundering prevention measures. This uncertainty is also reflected in the different designs of the cash ceilings of the EU Member States, which although an effective fight against money laundering requires a basic uniform approach, these proceed inconsistently. A literature analysis carried out in this context with regard to the national and international state of research, has shown the existence of a research gap and the high relevance of the topic for practice.
In order to close this research gap, a survey was first conducted based on an extensive theoretical analysis of the relevant topic areas and the theoretical questions generated by this, in which employees mainly from the compliance or financial crime departments of credit institutions from various countries took part.
In order to give the research a qualitative depth and at the same time minimize the risk of overlooking important nuances, expert interviews were carried out in the next step of the research project, based on the knowledge gained so far. Experts from law enforcement agencies, politicians who have points of contact with the topic of money laundering as well as proven money laundering experts from the field were contacted for the series of interviews.
Consequently, this dissertation has first shown that even in a subject area of money laundering and terrorist financing and its prevention, which is subject to an improbable dynamic of change, intensive scientific research should be carried out before implementing money laundering prevention measures in order to assess the effectiveness of the measure.
With regard to the problem, the essential core statement could, as expected, only be formulated on the basis of the findings generated by the expert interviews, according to which it can be assumed that alone and in isolation, the introduction of a hard cash restriction within the non-financial sector will not achieve the desired effect of a money laundering prevention measure, if a wide range of flanking measures are not initiated at the same time. These measures are already comprehensively presented in this dissertation as recommendations for action in practice.
In conclusion, it can be said that the results and findings of this dissertation can be considered as an important empirical contribution to practice and research, with regard to the problem described above
‘Breaking the chains’: reflections on the making of an ethnographic documentary on human rights violations against people with mental illness in Indonesia
Get PDFBreaking the Chains is an ethnographic documentary about the use of physical restraint and confinement of people with mental illness in Indonesia, a practice known as pasung. The film contributes to an understanding of the socio-cultural meanings of pasung, the sets of beliefs and customs that support such practices (including beliefs about mental illness and healing), and the challenges that must be overcome to eradicate this human rights abuse while highlighting the efforts to eradicate this practice at several levels. This article provides a reflection on the author's experiences and motivations for making Breaking the Chains. It also presents an opportunity to reflect upon the use of film as an applied, public and activist research methodology and the limits and possibilities presented by relying on film-documentary as a ‘generator’ of ethnographic knowledge
Untersuchung des Konfliktpotentials zwischen akademisch ausgebildeten Pflegepersonen und ihren Kollegen im Arbeitsalltag in Österreich
Get PDFThe nurses‘education in Austria is being renewed and brought to a level, which is comparable to the international standards. So the trainees are able to stay in any European country for their studies. The parts of education, which are done in one European country are taken into consideration in any other. So they needn’t fear any loss of their already passed exams if they change their residence.
In the beginning, the education for registered nurses in Austria was set at a specific nurses’ school, which is seen as a good preparation for working life. But if students changed their residence, the conversion into another country showed its problems, because none of their previous exams was taken into consideration. To enable a crediting of all their positive results, the education is now raised to studies at the University of Applied Sciences.
As the federal states of Austria are legally reasonable for such a change in education, there are long transition periods, in which both types of education are run. During this period, graduates from the conventional schools and those from university have to work side by side at the wards in hospital. Registered nurses from both types of training are educated for exactly the same job, none is worthier than the other. Therefore working without any conflicts should be possible.
Any kind of friction within a team decreases the output enormously. The success of a nurses’ team is measurable by the healthily dismissed patients. This success should – economically spoken – be as big as possible, so that the working circumstances pay back. That’s why it’s necessary for each leader person to keep tensions within the team as low as possible. If colleagues with and without academical degrees meet, frictions could be predetermined.
This paper tries to clarify, if the graduates of these different types of education for registered nurses can work without or at least almost without any conflicts together on the ward. Additionally, it tries to show how the management can avoid such frictions or conflicts right from the beginning, to ensure productive work although the mixture of graduates
A critical review of the quantification, analysis and detection of radionuclides in the environment using diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT): advances and perspectives
Get PDFThis critical review explores the quantification, analysis, and detection of radionuclides in the environment using the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique. Radionuclides, unstable isotopes emitting ionising radiation, are present in the environment due to natural and anthropogenic sources for which concerns are raised about their impact on human health and ecosystems. DGT offers a unique passive sampling approach for understanding the behaviour of radionuclides and other trace elements. This review provides insights into method development, real case scenarios, advantages, limitations, and future perspectives of DGT in radionuclide analysis. In terms of method development, various isotopes have been analysed with varying significance based on origin, concentration, risks, and persistence. Notably, U, Th, Pu, Am, Cm, 99Tc, 226Ra, 137Cs, 134Cs, 232U, 237Np, and 152Eu have been measured, revealing their diverse roles in environmental radioactivity. Real case scenarios illustrate applications in uranium mining, water quality monitoring, and metal speciation studies, shedding light on mobility, bioavailability, and ecological impacts. DGT’s advantages include in-situ monitoring, time-averaged mean concentrations, and comprehensive speciation insights. Challenges include potential influences from biofouling, temperature changes and specifically the possible degradation of the binding and diffuse layer due to ionising radiation in long term exposures. In addition, the distinction between fully labile free metal ions and partially labile metal-ligand complexes introduces a potential limitation in the DGT technique, hence being an opportunity for future studies. Looking forward, DGT is expected to contribute to radiation dose modelling, environmental risk assessment, and water quality monitoring, with ongoing developments enhancing its utility and accuracy