Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Human Resources (human + resources)
Terms modified by Human Resources Selected AbstractsMEASUREMENT ERROR IN RESEARCH ON HUMAN RESOURCES AND FIRM PERFORMANCE: ADDITIONAL DATA AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCHPERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2001PATRICK M. WRIGHT Gerhart and colleagues (2000) and Huselid and Becker (2000) recently debated the presence and implications of measurement error in measures of human resource practices. This paper presents data from 3 more studies, 1 of large organizations from different industries at the corporate level, 1 from commercial banks, and the other of autonomous business units at the level of the job. Results of all 3 studies provide additional evidence that single respondent measures of HR practices contain large amounts of measurement error. Implications for future research into the HR firm performance relationship are discussed. [source] COMMENT ON "MEASUREMENT ERROR IN RESEARCH ON HUMAN RESOURCES AND FIRM PERFORMANCE: HOW MUCH ERROR IS THERE AND HOW DOES IT INFLUENCE EFFECTSIZE ESTIMATES?"PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2000AND SNELL, MC MAHAN, WRIGHT, by GERHART First page of article [source] MEASUREMENT ERROR IN RESEARCH ON THE HUMAN RESOURCES AND FIRM PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP: FURTHER EVIDENCE AND ANALYSISPERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2000BARRY GERHART Our earlier article in Personnel Psychology demonstrated how general-izability theory could be used to obtain improved reliability estimates in the human resource (HR) and firm performance literature and that correcting for unreliability using these estimates had important implications for the magnitude of the HR and firm performance relationship. In their comment, Huselid and Becker both raise criticisms specific to our study and broad issues for the field to consider. In our present article, we argue, using empirical evidence whenever possible, that the issues and criticisms raised by Huselid and Becker do not change our original conclusions. We also provide new evidence on how the reliability of HR-related measures may differ at different levels of analysis. Finally, we build on Huselid and Becker's helpful discussion of broad research design and strategy issues in the HR and firm performance literature in an effort to help researchers make better informed choices regarding their own research designs and strategies in the area. [source] A study of the criteria used by healthcare professionals, managers and patients to represent and evaluate quality careJOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2001M. Attree msc, bnurs Aim,To explore the perceptions of and criteria used by healthcare professionals, managers, patients and relatives to represent and evaluate their concept of quality care. Methods A qualitative approach using grounded theory was adopted in thisexploratory descriptive study. Data collected by semi-structured interviews from a purposive sample of nurses, doctors, managers (n = 36), patients (n = 34) and relatives (n = 7) from one acute medical ward, were subjected to content, question and thematic analysis, using an inductive categorizing scheme. Findings Three categories of criteria relating to Care Resources, Processes and Outcomes were identified by healthcare professionals, managers, patients and relatives. Resource criteria included Human Resources: staff numbers, ratio to patients, skill mix; as well as Environmental/Physical and Financial Resources. Process criteria included Care Functions, Practices and Standards as well as Interpersonal Processes. Outcome criteria were either patient-focused: feeling comfort, happy, informed and satisfied; or health-related: maintenance or progress with health problems and goals. Conclusions The criteria used by healthcare stakeholders in this study were notunusual; virtually all were supported by the literature, a proportion of which was evidence-based. The criteria identified in this study are however consensual, agreed upon by healthcare professionals, managers, patients and relatives as representing their view of quality care. These consensual criteria could be used as unifying constructs for the development and testing of more comprehensive, reliable and valid methods of evaluating quality care which represent its multiple dimensions and perspectives. [source] Institutions and the Management of Human Resources: Incentive Pay Systems in France and Great BritainBRITISH JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 2 2010David Marsden Using data from large-scale establishment surveys in Britain and France, we show that incentive pay for non-managers is more widespread in France than in Britain. We explain this finding in terms of the ,beneficial constraint' arising from stronger employment protection in France, which provides an impulse to develop incentive pay; employer networking activities in France, which facilitate joint learning about its development and operation; and government fiscal incentives for profit-sharing, which reduce the cost of its operation. [source] Venture capitalists and entrepreneurs become venture philanthropistsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 3 2005John PepinArticle first published online: 19 AUG 200 Non-traditional charitable sources of revenue may be categorised as follows: Venture philanthropy: Human resources and funding invested as donation in the charity by entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, trusts and corporations in search of a social return on their investment. It involves high engagement over many years with fixed milestones and tangible returns and exit achieved by developing alternative, sustainable income. Commercial ventures: They seek a financial return on investment by creating a social enterprise operated by charities and their trading/holding companies alone or in partnership with the corporate sector, venture capitalists or investors to provide funding. Venture philanthropists may also ,invest' without establishing an equity position in the commercial enterprise. Any profits are re-directed to mission-related activity, although the business activity may or may not be mission related. Social venture capital: It funds commercial ventures (as above) but may not seek a complete return on investment; instead the investor may off set some or all of the investment against social outcomes. Within the context of venture philanthropy, this paper demonstrates how charities, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs may work together in strategic alliances. It explores venture philanthropy from the perspective of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, giving examples. Charities are shown how to prepare themselves to take advantage of these entrepreneurial opportunities. Although the emphasis in this paper is on venture philanthropy, the processes outlined may be used to help a charity take advantage of opportunities within the broader social entrepreneurial context. Successful venture capitalists and entrepreneurs have demonstrated the ability to turn outline business ideas into big results, frequently in highly competitive business environments. A common characteristic that appears to unite these individuals when they divert their interest toward social ventures is a desire to apply their business-like approach, which includes planning processes, milestones and outcome measurement to their social venture activity. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Restoring sanitation services after an earthquake: field experience in Bam, IranDISASTERS, Issue 3 2005Jean-François Pinera Abstract A powerful earthquake hit the city of Bam in southeast Iran on 26 December 2003. In its aftermath, a number of international relief agencies, including Oxfam, assisted in providing emergency sanitation services. Oxfam's programme consisted of constructing and repairing toilets and showers in villages located outside of the city. In contrast with other organisations, Oxfam opted for brickwork structures, using local materials and human resources rather than prefabricated cubicles. The choice illustrates the dilemmas faced by agencies involved in emergency sanitation: responding to needs in a manner consistent with international standards and offering assistance in a timely fashion while involving beneficiaries. Following a preliminary survey, Oxfam concluded that the provision of showers and latrines, in addition to utilisation of local materials and human resources, was essential for ensuring well-being, empowerment and dignity among members of the affected population, thereby maximising the benefits. [source] Harm reduction programmes in the Asia,Pacific RegionDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 1 2008GARY REID MPH Abstract Introduction and Aims. This paper reports on the public health intervention of harm reduction to address drug use issues in the Asia , Pacific region. Design and Methods. It is based on the report ,Situational analysis of illicit drug issues and responses in Asia and the Pacific', commissioned by the Australian National Council on Drugs Asia Pacific Drug Issues Committee. A comprehensive desk-based review based on published and unpublished literature and key informant data. Results. Drug use in the Asia , Pacific region is widespread, resulting in serious adverse health consequences. Needle and syringe programmes are found in some parts of Asia, but not in the six Pacific Island countries reviewed. Outreach and peer education programmes are implemented, but overall appear minor in size and scope. Substitution therapy programmes appear to be entering a new era of acceptance in some parts of Asia. Primary health care specifically for drug users overall is limited. Discussion and Conclusions. Harm reduction programmes in the Asia , Pacific region are either small in scale or do not exist. Most programmes lack the technical capacity, human resources and a limited scope of operations to respond effectively to the needs of drug users. Governments in this region should be encouraged to endorse evidence-based harm reduction programmes. [source] Effects of Human Capital and Long-Term Human Resources Development and Utilization on Employment Growth of Small-Scale Businesses: A Causal Analysis1ENTREPRENEURSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE, Issue 6 2005Andreas Rauch The purpose of this study was to explore how three different human resource variables affect employment growth of small-scale enterprises: human capital of business owners, human capital of employees, and human resource development and utilization. The literature suggests different models of how these human resource variables affect business outcomes. Longitudinal data from 119 German business owners provided support for a main effect model indicating that owners' human capital as well as employee human resource development and utilization affect employment growth. Moreover, human resources development and utilization was most effective when the human capital of employees was high. We conclude that human resources are important factors predicting growth of small-scale enterprises. [source] Developing a Performance Measurement System for University Central Administrative ServicesHIGHER EDUCATION QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2009Marika Arena Central administrative services have recently received increasing attention from practitioners and academics due to the challenging need to both manage scarce resources and provide high-quality services. In this context, performance measurement systems (PMSs) may assume a central role, although an unresolved debate remains on the claimed benefits of accountability and the difficulties that have emerged in defining and managing proper measures. This paper contributes to this debate by presenting the results of a study in which a PMS for central administrative services has been developed and tested through an action research approach drawing on actor network theory. The experiment was carried out in 15 Italian universities and five areas of services were dealt with: student support, research support, accounting, human resources, and logistics and procurement. The highly participative method resulted in a comparable system with a complete set of cost and quality indicators across the participating universities. These data proved to be useful at managerial and policy level, providing insights on the presence of scale effects and on the relative importance of quality dimensions for users of services. Participating in the project encouraged the university staff to use indicators in decision making. [source] An exploratory study of governance in the intra-firm human resources supply chainHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2010Elaine Farndale Abstract The human resource management (HRM) literature has paid insufficient attention to supply chain management (SCM) when exploring the architecture of human resources (HR). Drawing on an SCM perspective, this study develops our understanding of (1) the intra-firm HR supply chain, and (2) how this HR supply chain influences corporate governance processes within large organizations. We argue that the HR function, represented as an internal professional service supply chain, needs appropriate governance principles as it operates through multiple delivery channels and with a wide variety of HRM practices. Exploratory findings from a qualitative empirical study of seven large organizations investigating governance and risk management in the HR supply chain are presented. These in-depth interviews uncover how formal governance is relatively easy for these organizations to achieve, supported by outcome-focused monitoring tools, but informal governance mechanisms can fail due to insufficient attention. Although standardized approaches to HR delivery can maximize the opportunity for HR governance, little evidence was found that the organizations were considering the related governance implications explicitly. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] The glass ceiling in human resources: Exploring the link between women's representation in management and the practices of strategic human resource management and employee involvementHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2008Shaun Pichler Research on sex stereotypes suggests that gender bias is an invisible barrier,the so-called glass ceiling,preventing women from breaking into the highest levels of management in business organizations. Using data from a state-based professional HR organization, we investigated this phenomenon in the field of HR management. Building on the lack of fit model of gender discrimination and previous research, we tested two hypotheses: that women in HR are more likely to be concentrated in lower-level managerial positions in organizations that emphasize employee involvement (because of a related emphasis on stereotypically feminine managerial abilities) and that women in HR also are more likely to be concentrated in lower-level managerial positions in organizations that emphasize strategic human resource management (because of a related emphasis on stereotypically masculine characteristics). Our results support the first but not the second hypothesis. Theoretical and practical implications related to the glass ceiling are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Overlooked and underutilized: People with disabilities are an untapped human resourceHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2008Mark L. Lengnick-Hall The retirement of baby boomers along with a smaller cohort group of young people replacing them poses a challenge for employers in the future,where will they find the workers they need? One largely untapped source of human resources is people with disabilities (PWDs). Why have employers mostly ignored this large labor pool? This research used a semistructured interview approach with 38 executives across a broad array of industries and geographic regions to examine why employers don't hire PWDs and what they believe can be done to change this situation. Results show that most employers are not very proactive in hiring PWDs and that most employers hold stereotypical beliefs not supported by research evidence. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] The importance of the employee perspective in the competency development of human resource professionalsHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2006Mary E. Graham Recent specification of HR competencies has the potential to influence the professional development of all HR practitioners. It is possible, however, to master the competencies and still underperform. This disconnect may occur because current competency work reflects the perspective of top management clients of human resources to the neglect of the employee perspective. In addition, competencies have become linked so tightly to firm outcomes that normative influences in competency development are lost. To think through these issues, we examine the credibility competency for HR professionals (Ulrich & Brockbank, 2005). Focus groups confirm that credibility dimensions vary across stakeholders, with employees emphasizing trust, management emphasizing expertise and effective relationships, and top management emphasizing the achievement of results. We conclude that more broadly defined competencies for HR professionals are necessary. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] How leveraging human resource capital with its competitive distinctiveness enhances the performance of commercial and public organizationsHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2005Abraham Carmeli Although scholars agree that complex relationships between organizations' actual human resources (i.e., human capital stock) and means of leveraging these resources may influence performance, little empirical work has tested such propositions directly. We collected two primary data sets from privateand public-sector organizations in Israel. The multiplicative interaction between perceived human resources capital and distinctive value derived from that HR capital was significantly related to various measures of perceived and objective organizational performance. Having higher levels of human resources capital was strongly associated with performance only when top managers perceived that these resources provided distinctive value in terms of being highly valuable, inimitable, rare, and nonsubstitutable. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on strategic human resource management and the resource-based view of competitive advantage, as well as for practical efforts to develop firm-specific human resource capital that is inherently distinctive. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Preparing the HR profession for technology and information workHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 2-3 2004Paul S. Hempel Technology and human resource management have broad influences upon each other. Technology not only changes the administration of human resources (HR), which is the domain of e-HR, but also changes organizations and work. HR professionals must be able to adopt technologies that allow the reengineering of the HR function, be prepared to support organizational and work-design changes enabled by technology, and be able to support the proper managerial climate for innovative and knowledge-based organizations. An examination of HR professional degree programs shows that traditional HR education has poorly prepared the HR profession for these challenges. To address this shortfall, HR education must be revised to provide a greater focus on technological issues, and HR educators must acquire the skills needed to teach these courses. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Different ties for different needs: Recruitment practices of entrepreneurial firms at different developmental phasesHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2003Aegean Leung Entrepreneurial firms face significant challenges in attracting and acquiring needed human resources. That is, in addition to difficulties associated with resource constraints and organization legitimacy, the requirements for "person-organization fit" change substantially as these firms transit from start-up to growth phase. This study examines how entrepreneurial firms tap evolving social network ties in order to address "needs-and-fits" issues across different developmental stages of the firm. The findings go beyond what "strength of weak ties" and "structural hole" theories would suggest, and highlight the persistent use of strong and direct ties across developmental phases. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] HR strategy and competitive advantage in the service sectorHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 3 2003Peter Boxall While taking its cue from studies of high-performance work systems in manufacturing, this article examines theory and research on the potential for HR advantage in the service sector, building directly on recent studies of market segmentation and HR strategy in the sector. The article uses these studies, along with strategic management theory, to put forward a new typology of market characteristics, competitive dynamics and HR strategy in services. Three broad types of competition, ranging from mass market to knowledge-intensive services, are identified. This framework helps the article to explore the issue of whether competitive differentiation through human resources is possible only in high-skill areas such as professional services. It argues that opportunities for HR advantage are broader; they exist where quality and/or knowledge are important in competitive strategy. However, seeing the opportunity is not the same as achieving the result. Service firms that identify and pursue these opportunities face the problems of building and maintaining barriers to imitation, and of managing the ,politics of appropriation'. [source] A New Form of Chinese Human Resource Management?INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS JOURNAL, Issue 4 2001Labour-Management Relations in Chinese Township, Personnel, Village Enterprises: A Case-Study Approach Township and Village Enterprises (TVEs) in China have in the last decade played an increasingly important role in the Chinese economy, employing over 120 million workers. This article examines their human resources, personnel and labour-management relations, based on in-depth case studies of a selected number of TVEs located in southern China, reflecting the influence of diversification, local labour-market conditions and marketisation. [source] Transnational organized crime in West Africa: the additional challengeINTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, Issue 6 2007ANTONIO L. MAZZITELLI Despite its vast natural and human resources and the undisputed progress made in the last decade towards the establishment of democratic culture and governing systems, West African countries continue to occupy the bottom ranks of the UN Human Development Index. Similarly, many of them score poorly in World Bank and Transparency International indexes that measure good governance. The international mass media have recently highlighted the role played by the West African region in the transatlantic cocaine trade, as well as in the flow of illegal migrants to Europe. Drugs and migrants are, however, just two of the numerous illicit activities that feed the growth of local and transnational criminal organizations, and the establishing of a culture of quick and easy money that is progressively eroding the foundations of any sustainable and well balanced socio-economic development. The pervasive power of the corruption of criminal organizations, coupled with a general crisis by state actors in the administration of justice and enforcement of the rule of law, contribute towards the progressive diminishing of the credibility of the state as the institution entrusted with the prerogatives of guaranteeing security (of people and investments) and dispensing justice. In this context, the case of Guinea Bissau is probably the clearest example of what West African states may face in the near future if the issues of justice and security are not properly and promptly addressed. If primary responsibilities lie with West African governments and institutions, the international community as a whole should also review its approach to development policies by not only mainstreaming the issues of security and justice in their bilateral and multilateral agendas, but also by making it an essential cornerstone of policies and programmes aimed at supporting good governance and the establishment of states ruled by the law. [source] Questioning the impact of the ,graduatization' of the managerial labour force upon the management of human resources in the Scottish hotel industryINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 4 2000Arthur Ingram Abstract This paper outlines the findings of a questionnaire survey returned by 125 Scottish hotels from a sample of 500 small and middle-sized enterprises. We asked questions on the level of impact that hospitality graduates have had upon human resource management practices within individual units. The research reports that, although the cumulative graduatization of the managerial workforce appears to be under way, the main route to a permanent management post still remains one of practical work experience, rather than the attainment of a hospitality-related degree. Although manpower planning is widely used by line managers for managing the conditions of local/external labour markets and operatives' jobs, there is less evidence of a systematic approach to the management of graduate careers/skills or of the management of internal job structures and labour market processes in order to improve the quality of customer service. Our work suggests a need for smaller hotels to strike a fresh balance between traditional operationally driven approaches to people management and strategic human resource management frameworks. [source] Access to essential drugs in Guyana: a public health challenge,,INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2010Enrique Seoane-Vazquez Abstract Guyana's pharmaceutical sector faces major challenges that limit access to essential drugs. This study analyzes Guyana's drug policy and regulation, public financing, and drug procurement and delivery. The study also identifies main barriers to drug access and proposes alternatives to strengthen the country's public health functions. Data were collected from the country's regulatory agencies, public procurement agency, pharmacies, wholesalers, and pharmaceutical companies. The information was supplemented with interviews with a convenient sample of Guyanese health authorities and stakeholders. Data were also compiled from scientific databases, and web pages of the country's Ministries of Health, Commerce and Finance, the Bureau of Statistics, and international organizations. Major barriers to drug access include: (1) lack of national drug policy and regulation, and limited role of the regulatory authority; (2) inefficient drug selection and irrational drug use; (3) insufficient financial resources and lack of drug pricing policy; (4) inefficient planning and managing public supply system; (5) deficient epidemiological and information systems; and (6) inadequate infrastructures and human resources shortage. Improving drug access in Guyana requires the strengthening of the country's public health functions and the implementation of a national drug policy and pricing policy, streamlining the drug financing, procurement, and planning and managing drug supply; and adequate infrastructures and human resources. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The dynamics of the health labour marketINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2006Marko Vujicic Abstract One of the most important components of health care systems is human resources for health (HRH),the people that deliver the services. One key challenge facing policy makers is to ensure that health care systems have sufficient HRH capacity to deliver services that improve or maintain population health. In a predominantly public system, this involves policy makers assessing the health care needs of the population, deriving the HRH requirements to meet those needs, and putting policies in place that move the current HRH employment level, skill mix, geographic distribution and productivity towards the desired level. This last step relies on understanding the labour market dynamics of the health care sector, specifically the determinants of labour demand and labour supply. We argue that traditional HRH policy in developing countries has focussed on determining the HRH requirements to address population needs and has largely ignored the labour market dynamics aspect. This is one of the reasons that HRH policies often do not achieve their objectives. We argue for the need to incorporate more explicitly the behaviour of those who supply labour,doctors, nurses and other providers,those who demand labour, and how these actors respond to incentives when formulating health workforce policy. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Performance measurement systems in SMEs: A review for a research agendaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT REVIEWS, Issue 1 2005Patrizia Garengo In recent years, literature has identified the increasing complexity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and highlighted their sensitivity to differences in managerial culture and management systems. Research has shown that performance measurement systems (PMSs) could play an important role in supporting managerial development in these companies. In this paper, the literature on performance measurement in manufacturing SMEs is reviewed and the diffusion, characteristics and determinants of performance measurement in SMEs are analysed. Shortcomings in the performance measurement systems are highlighted and the many factors that seem to constrain PMSs in manufacturing SMEs are defined, e.g. lack of financial and human resources, wrong perception of the benefits of PMS implementation, short-term strategic planning. Moreover, using dimensions defined according to the information found in the literature, two PMS models specifically developed for SMEs are compared with generic PMS models. The comparison points out an evolution in PMS models over time; in particular, the models developed in the last 20 years are more horizontal, process-oriented and focus on stakeholder needs. However, it is not clear whether these changes are due to the evolution of the generic models or an attempt to introduce models suited to the needs of SMEs. To clarify this matter and better to understand PMSs in SMEs, further theoretical and empirical studies are necessary. The main issues still requiring investigation are listed in a research agenda at the end of the paper. [source] Nursing Diagnosis in Medical-Surgical PatientsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 2003Márcia Paschoalina Volpato PURPOSE. To identify nursing diagnoses identified in patients in a medical-surgical unit. METHODS. Data were collected through interviews and physical examination of 60 patients on a female ward in order to formulate NANDA diagnoses. The data collection tool was based on Gordon's 11 Functional Health Patterns. Four researchers with medical-surgical nursing expertise reached the nursing diagnosis through consensus. FINDINGS. A total of 338 diagnoses were identified from 49 different categories. Nineteen categories were identified in more than 10% of the sample: risk for infection (58%), pain (50%), constipation (42%), activity intolerance (35%), sleep pattern disturbance (28%), altered physical mobility (27%), impaired skin integrity (27%), fatigue (25%), sexual pattern dysfunction (23%), anxiety (23%), risk for ineffective manipulation of therapeutic regimen (20%), risk for trauma (20%), risk for impaired skin integrity (18%), ineffective coping (18%), altered nutrition: more than body requirements (12%), impaired communication (12%), urinary incontinence (10%), fluid volume excess (10%), and altered nutrition: less than body requirements (10%). The most frequent diagnoses related to Health Functional Patterns were identified in health control and perception, with 28% of the 338 formulated diagnoses, activity-exercise and nutritional-metabolic with 20% each. CONCLUSIONS. There was great diversity in the quality of the reported needs in the studied sample, which demands extensive knowledge and a wide range of abilities to identify needs as well as implement care in the affected patients. Studies such as this one will enhance delineation of the nursing knowledge base in order to justify allocation of human resources in specific areas. [source] Incentives for International Migration of Scientists and Engineers to JapanINTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 4 2009Yukiko Murakami Many developed countries, welcome foreign talent, and Japan is no exception. The Japanese government has developed programmes for expanding the acceptance of foreign labour in specialized and technical fields, in order to compete with foreign nations in the global economy and accommodate the highly specialized domestic industrial structure. This paper focuses on scientists and engineers (S&E) as a component of the highly skilled labour force, and examines their incentives for migrating to Japan, which is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. According to a survey conducted in 2004, the majority of S&E working in Japan migrated from Asian nations, and many obtained their doctoral degrees in Japan and continued to stay in the country to work. Key incentives for migration are Japan's high level of science and technology, opportunities to acquire cutting-edge knowledge, and prospects for improving performance in an environment with large budgets, superior equipment and facilities, and good quality human resources. In particular, the technological environment is influential for S&E from countries with a significant technological gap when compared with Japan. However, this does not mean that S&E are indifferent to monetary rewards. The salary gap, which is considered to be a major factor in international mobility in to traditional economic theory, has also proven to be a significant incentive, particularly for S&E from countries where the gap in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita compared with Japan is large. In addition, cultural and social aspects of Japan attract mainly young S&E. The attractiveness of Japanese culture, opportunities to learn the Japanese language, and chances to build a network of personal contacts are important incentives for migration. This study presents some policy implications for countries competing over capable S&E. [source] Evidence for indigenous selection and distribution of the shea tree, Vitellaria paradoxa, and its potential significance to prevailing parkland savanna tree patterns in sub-Saharan Africa north of the equatorJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 10 2003S. Maranz Abstract Aim, Woody vegetation patterns in African savannas north of the equator are closely connected to human presence, but the distinctions between natural and anthropogenic landscapes have not been clear to many observers. Criteria for identifying savanna landscapes on a continuum of intensity of anthropic impact are explored. Methods, A key savanna tree species, Vitellaria paradoxa (Sapotaceae), was used as model for evaluating anthropic impact. Fruits harvested from tree populations across the species range were analysed for variation in traits valued by indigenous peoples. A simple selection index was used to scale tree populations from a hypothetical wild state to a hypothetical domesticated state. Index values were compared with trait values along climate zone gradients and evaluated in the context of indigenous savanna management practices and historical species distribution reports. Results, Trait values such as fruit size and shape, pulp sweetness, and kernel fat content show a significant influence of temperature and rainfall. At the same time, the mean values of groups of traits vary perpendicular to the general climatic zone gradient. Selection index values between Vitellaria populations vary up to sixfold, with highest values in central Burkina Faso. Comparison of present day Vitellaria distribution with historical range limits show range expansion by human migration. Main conclusions, The prevalence of major economic tree species in the savannas of Africa north of the equator is a strong indicator of human involvement in tree dispersal. This conclusion is supported by paleobotanical evidence and by recent Vitellaria range expansion as a result of human migration. The presence of high mean values of several Vitellaria fruit traits in central Burkina Faso suggests that selection for desired characteristics has occurred. The impact of indigenous savanna peoples on woody species composition and spatial distribution is probably much greater than usually thought and is the result of a deliberate strategy of altering the landscape to provide needed human resources. [source] The spectrum of barriers to and facilitators of research utilization in Iranian nursingJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 16 2008Neda Mehrdad MSN Aim., The focus of the study is the identification of barriers to and facilitators of research utilization in nursing practice from the perspective of Iranian nurses. Background., In Iran, research utilization is a new phenomenon thus our knowledge with regard to those factors that promote or discourage research use is limited. No overall picture of the state of research utilization in Iran therefore exists. Method., A descriptive design is used. The questionnaire was distributed to 410 nurses from educational hospitals and nursing schools affiliated with Tehran Medical Sciences University in Iran. Results., The major barriers to research utilization were that the nurses do not have time to read research; facilities are inadequate for implementation; and nurses do not feel they have enough authority to change patient care procedures. Findings revealed a number of facilitators which were categorised into two main groups of human resources and individual/organisational factors. Conclusion., The healthcare system in Iran does not provide the incentive for nurses to engage in research or to avail themselves of research findings. Also, time is the major issue owing to a nursing shortage. If research utilization is to increase in Iran, therefore, the most important organisational change that needs to occur is the provision of available facilities for nurses to use research evidence. Relevance to clinical practice., Key factors that need attention in implementing research results into practice are suggested. Clearly, identification of barriers and facilitators is useful potentially to overcome barriers and enforce facilitators and this could ultimately improve nursing practice. [source] The Politics of Caring for the Poor: Anglican Responses in 1890s TasmaniaJOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS HISTORY, Issue 3 2007ROBERT S. M. WITHYCOMBE Relieving poverty amongst skilled but unemployed workers during the Tasmanian economic collapse in the 1890s challenged both a conservative government's policy of avoiding public debt by initiating minimal relief and the limited financial and human resources of voluntary philanthropic agencies, the Anglican Church amongst them, whom the Tasmanian governments expected to carry the burden of delivering relief to those deemed to deserve it. With labour organisations too weak to lead, and amidst the silence of church leaders, it fell to individuals like the Reverend Archibald Turnbull to articulate a Christian socialist critique of government policies and values and to advocate the desperate plight of the poor. In this context, this study examines how contemporary government and Anglican Church leaders responded to Turnbull's political and pastoral initiatives in Hobart in 1893,96. [source] Eye-rollers, risk-takers, and turn sharks: Target students in a professional science education programJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 8 2006Sonya N. Martin In classrooms from kindergarten to graduate school, researchers have identified target students as students who monopolize material and human resources. Classroom structures that privilege the voice and actions of target students can cause divisive social dynamics that may generate cliques. This study focuses on the emergence of target students, the formation of cliques, and professors' efforts to mediate teacher learning in a Master of Science in Chemistry Education (MSCE) program by structuring the classroom environment to enhance nontarget students' agency. Specifically, we sought to answer the following question: What strategies could help college science professors enact more equitable teaching structures in their classrooms so that target students and cliques become less of an issue in classroom interactions? The implications for professional education programs in science and mathematics include the need for professors to consider the role and contribution of target students to the learning environment, the need to structure an equitable learning environment, and the need to foster critical reflection upon classroom interactions between students and instructors. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 43: 819,851, 2006 [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||