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Krisen- und Sanierungsmanagement in deutschen Krankenhäusern. Empirisch-qualitative Untersuchung zur Bewältigung von Kranken-hauskrisen durch Entwicklung von Sanierungsempfehlungen für einen Turnaround
No full textHospitals are facing increasing economic pressure due to various factors such as the coronavirus pandemic, reforms, and increasing outpatient care. A "cold structural change" is expected in the hospital market until the German government's planned hospital reform, the "Krankenhausversorgungsverbesserungsgesetzes (KHVVG)", is implemented. According to the Hospital Rating Report, it is predicted that around 70% of hospitals will experience an annual loss by 2024. Already in 2022, 10% of German hospitals were at risk of insolvency, with at least one third of hospitals reporting annual losses (Augurzky et al., 2024, S. 112). To overcome these challenges, financially struggling hospitals will need comprehensive crisis and reorganization management. Without public funding support, it will be difficult for these hospitals to navigate the difficulties they face.
This research paper addresses two key issues: firstly, the emergence and causes of economic hospital crises; and secondly, the derivation of suitable reorganization options for the hospital sector. In this respect, both extra-judicial reorganisation and restructuring measures as well as the reorganisation options under the Insolvency Code are discussed. The evaluation of the academic literature to date has shown that the topic of hospital reorganisation has been insufficiently investigated. Although there are numerous scientific contributions on corporate reorganisation in industry, these cannot be easily transferred to the hospital sector due to the special features of the hospital sector.
The aim of this study is therefore to develop practicable restructuring approaches for the hospital sector on the basis of a well-founded analysis and to identify various restructuring options.
The topic of hospital reorganisation was examined in detail on the basis of two qualitative studies, a case study and expert interviews. The recommendations for action developed have the objective of establishing the topic of hospital refurbishment, both in the field of scientific investigation and in the context of clinical practice. Increased awareness should help to ensure that hospital closures are avoided wherever possible due to increasing negative annual results and the current increased risk of insolvency
From performance enhancement to health: the role of heat acclimation protocols for protecting vulnerable individuals against heat related illness
No full textPutting reflective practice into practice – teaching in a changing Japan
Get PDFIn this public works professional doctorate, I present nine public works: three books and six articles from peer-reviewed journals drawn from my ongoing professional development as a teacher of English as a foreign language and as a teacher educator in secondary and tertiary educational contexts in Japan. The public works were produced during a period when Japan was undergoing demographic change, revisions to educational curricula at all levels, and changes in the makeup of the tertiary student body, a time when I was well positioned to pioneer the development of innovative teaching materials in my market-leading textbooks and to undertake innovative practitioner research projects, which include possibly the first use of a crowd-sourcing methodology in secondary education research, and being the first to investigate the ability of secondary students to generate items for Student Experience of Teaching surveys.
The public works discussed in this context statement are grouped into three themes: developing as a writer of receptive materials, research aimed at encouraging productive language output among my English language students, and research to obtain a better understanding of how secondary and tertiary students in Japan perceive their learning environment.
The public works are bound together by two conceptual threads which underlie my teaching and approach to professional development as an English language teacher and teacher educator. The first thread encapsulates my seeking to gain a better understanding of my approach towards professional development, and identifies how the linkage between reflective practice, practitioner-research, and classroom experience can be used to identify and respond to student needs, generate new knowledge, drive change within an organisation, and respond to changes imposed from without. The second thread identifies the centrality of collaboration with both peers and students as a key feature of my approach towards teaching and professional development. Together, the public works provide an overview of the breadth of my work and represent my contributions to the fields of second language acquisition and education.
The public works make a significant contribution to knowledge and practice by developing innovative teaching materials, adding to pedagogical knowledge by demonstrating effective methods to elicit student voice, by adding student-centred nuance and detail to an ongoing debate in English language teaching in secondary education in Japan, generating new knowledge in an under-studied area of secondary education research, and by providing an improved understanding of cultural differences in tertiary education in Japan at a time when student demographics are undergoing rapid and profound change. The impact of the public works in the public domain is demonstrated through book sales, awards, citations, and inclusion in collected editions.
This context statement draws on a range of perspectives, theoretical, academic, and personal, to investigate the creation and reception of the public works, as well as to identify their strengths and limitations. Its primary contributions are the demonstration of the value of pairing reflective practice with practitioner research and the recognition that collaboration, both peer collaboration and teacher-student collaboration, plays a fundamental role in being a successful teacher and is also a key component of effective professional development
A theory of value – towards a more responsible way of being. The reflections of a practitioner
No full textPurpose
This paper examines the dominance of economic value as a societal and corporate priority, exploring how the semantics of “value” has been reshaped and in some cases manipulated to prioritise economic growth over personal and cultural values. This shift has contributed to the erosion of intrinsic values, heightened societal polarisation and weakened individual and collective well-being. It speaks to a fundamental truth: the economy cannot thrive in the long term unless people and the planet thrive alongside it. The paper highlights the implications for accountancy and financial services practices, emphasising the need for practitioners to critically engage with theories of value. It advocates for integrating these theories into professional practice to encourage a more congruent and holistic understanding of value. By questioning whether economic value is pursued for personal gain or the greater good, this paper challenges the assumptions embedded in dominant economic models. It calls for a re-evaluation, proposing alternative approaches that align financial objectives with broader contributions to well-being, community cohesion and meaningful relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
This autoethnographic account draws on the author’s personal experiences and self-reflection as the primary source of research.
Findings
The analysis suggests reimagining professional practice through an explicit commitment to personal agency and integrity. It explores the need to challenge assumptions that perpetuate the status quo and the link to doing more responsible business.
Originality/value
Embedded in the author’s professional evolution spanning some 35 years
Towards a systematic approach to memory safety: a case study integrating techniques and practices over the software development life cycle (SDLC)
No full textSafe memory management is a crucial pillar in modern programming and cybersecurity, essential to prevent vulnerabilities and errors that can compromise the reliability and security of computer systems. Memory safety problems, as evidenced by many cases (e.g., Wannacry and Crowdstrike) can have a devastating impact on the entire Trusted Computing Base (TCB) of organisations. Despite such important issues, there is still a lack of standardised frameworks, methods, and tools able to guide software engineers in a systematic consideration and mitigation of software memory safety during the entire Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). In this work, we propose a first attempt towards an approach that contextualises and considers, within the SDLC, main issues related to memory safety, and proposes guidelines to apply specific techniques for reducing potential memory safety risks. Specifically, our approach is pragmatic and oriented towards the industry, with the aim of helping organisations to individuate the parts where memory safety issues more often occur, and to mitigate such problems contextually to a secure SDLC. The concept of memory safety is introduced, followed by an overview of the main classes of vulnerabilities, and then by an in-depth analysis of the applicable mitigation techniques. We present our approach and a case study as an initial application of our approach, and exemplification of concepts related to it. The main contribution of this work consists in the systematization of mitigation techniques deriving from memory management problems, according to the SDLC, and in the practical demonstration of their effectiveness in a case study
It is simple to program with spiking neurons
Get PDFNeural and synaptic models that are relatively biologically accurate are easy to use to run efficient and distributed programs. The mechanism described in this paper uses these models to develop cell assemblies with a small number of neurons that persist indefinitely unless stopped. These in turn can be used to implement finite state automata and many other useful components, including cognitive maps and natural language parsers. These components support the development of, among other things, agents in virtual environments. Two spiking neuron agents are described, both able to run using either a standard neural simulator or using neuromorphic hardware. Examples of their behaviour are described touching the individual spike level. The component model supports step-wise development, and the example of extending the cognitive mapping mechanism from the simple agent to the full agent is described. Spiking nets support parallelism, use on neuromorphic platforms, and engineering and exploration of multiple subsystems, which in turn can help explore the neural basis of cognitive phenomena. Relationships between these spiking nets and biology are discussed. The code is available to ease reuse by other researchers
The deceleration paradox: the faster you run the slower you stop
No full textThis study examined the effect of approach momentum on horizontal deceleration (DEC) performance. Eighty team sports athletes performed three maximal horizontal DEC trials from a 15 m approach. Sprint performance was recorded using timing gates and instantaneous velocity was collected using a radar device. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were conducted to analyze the relationships between DEC-related variables. Between-subject (top 50% vs. bottom 50%) differences in DEC-related variables were also determined. Greater mean DEC was significantly correlated with lower approach momentum (r = -0.354, p = 0.001). Compared to lower DEC performers (in terms of mean and peak values), greater performers showed statistically significantly lower peak approach velocity (ES = 0.41-0.66, p < 0.05) and lower peak approach momentum (ES = 0.48-0.60, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the standardized Beta values of the multiple regression analysis demonstrated that body mass is a greater determinant of DEC performance compared to approach velocity. In conclusion, practitioners should be aware that approach momentum (body mass and approach velocity) is a factor influencing DEC performance, and an inverse relationship exists. Thus, to evaluate maximal DEC ability, approach velocity and body mass must be considered
Student belonging in action: practical case studies to foster a sense of belonging across the higher education student journey
No full textHigher Education institutions are under growing pressure to attract and retain their students and give them the best chance of success. Research consistently demonstrates that a strong sense of belonging is closely linked to various aspects of student success, including academic achievement, engagement, mental health and wellbeing, and student retention.
Taking a practical focus and bringing in the expertise of practitioners across academic and professional staff through a series of case studies, this book explores what works when taking practical steps towards enhancing students’ sense of belonging. Chapters cover taking a whole institution approach to belonging, efforts at different stages of the student journey, how to develop approaches that support specific student groups, and plenty of examples of working in partnership with students. Each chapter also presents a reflective example, with lessons learned and recommendations for future practitioners. Everyone working in Higher Education can make a positive difference to students’ sense of belonging whilst at university.
This book provides accessible, practical examples of how to take the first steps towards developing a sense of belonging with your students. It is essential reading for staff working across both academic and professional service roles in the areas of student retention, access, experience, engagement, and support
International consensus on the definition of functional training: modified E-Delphi method [ePoster]
No full textThe inconsistency and disparities in existing functional training definitions have led to confusion when explaining the concept and its potential. The wide range of interpretations suggests that any training approach could be deemed functional, thereby diminishing the significance of the term and significantly limiting its understanding and application.
PURPOSE: Thus, this paper aimed to develop the first consensual definition of functional training using an international e-Delphi method.
METHODS: From a panel of 31 experts initially selected, 13 participated in the consensus.
RESULTS: The panel presented the following definition: “Functional training is a physical interventional approach that contributes to the enhancement of human performance, according to individual goals, in sports, daily life, rehabilitation, or fitness, and takes into consideration the specificity of the task and the unique responsiveness of each individual.”. However, redundancy of the functional training definition emerged as a relevant consideration for this conceptual and methodological advancement, and a proposal to avoid the distinction between functional training and the general concept of training was presented (i.e., no real use of functional training as a concept).
CONCLUSION: It was proposed that a training program or regimen could be analyzed based on a continuum of functionality, which could support further developments in this topic
Managerial leadership development – action learning as an agent in planning and implementing quality improvement projects in London Ambulance Service
No full textWe explore the practice of action learning (AL) as a key component within a bespoke management programme designed to develop knowledge, skills and practice in business and management within specific organisational context. An action research approach has been integrated into the programme evaluation, and this was applied as a research methodology for this study. The practice of AL facilitation, alongside AL member participation and engagement are investigated through facilitator observations, feedback from AL members and review of service improvement projects. The paper demonstrates how AL can be used as an agent in leadership and management development to create a space for collaborative learning and reflections to support individual management and leadership capability and action to implement an effective work-based quality improvement project in line with organisational objectives and values