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Members' Perceptions (member + perception)
Kinds of Members' Perceptions Selected AbstractsCalifornia School Board Members' Perceptions of Factors Influencing School Nutrition PolicyJOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 2 2004Kelli McCormack Brown ABSTRACT: Enactment and enforcement of school nutrition policies represent key components in adolescent overweight and obesity prevention. This study determined: 1) California school board members' attitudes, perceptions, and motivations related to enactment of policies that support healthy eating in schools; and 2) barriers to adopting school policies that support healthy eating. To understand board members' decision-making process, key informant interviews were conducted and a survey was administered to 404 school board members. Though school board members care about the well-being of pupils, competing priorities limit the extent to which nutrition issues get addressed at board meetings. Members' decisions center primarily around academic achievement issues, yet they are interested in nutrition's overall impact on children's health and academic achievement. [source] Group Identification: The Influence of Group Membership on Retail Hardware Cooperative Members' PerceptionsJOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2004Leslie McClintock Stoel Due to the increasing popularity of retail cooperatives in hardware retailing, a new competitive dynamic has emerged, a hybrid of intratype/intergroup competition. Individual members of one cooperative group now fight for market share with one or more members of competing cooperative groups, in an effort to attain individual goals, as well as group goals. A model of competition that includes both individual and group conditions was tested. Results of the structural equation model (SEM) show that the data fit the theoretical model well (,2=12.414, 8 df, p=0.134, NFI=0.990, NNFI=0.993, CFI=0.996). Our results indicate that, for members of cooperative groups, feelings of identification with the cooperative group resulted in increased perceptions of conflict with a rival who was a member of a competing cooperative and that feelings of group identification influenced beliefs about the importance of competitive behaviors relative to that rival. [source] Members' perception of their participation in the governance of cooperatives: the key to trust and commitment in agricultural cooperativesAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009Peter Österberg This study explores the extent to which members' assessment of their cooperatives' degree of success is related to various member attributes, notably the members' perception of their participation in the governance of the cooperatives. Three categories of member attributes are identified: satisfaction with the profitability of farm operations, age of the member, and experience from board work. The cooperatives' degree of success is measured as members' commitment towards cooperatives, and members' trust in the board of directors. The data originate from a mail survey among 2,250 Swedish farmers. The results indicate differences in members' commitment and their trust towards directors to be due to farm profitability, the members' age and experience as directors. After adding members' perception of their participation in the governance as a covariate, most of the other differences are explained by this variable. Age is still partly associated with trust towards directors; older farmers have less trust. [EconLit Classifications: Q13, D23, D72]. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Factors affecting member perceptions of coalition impactNONPROFIT MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP, Issue 3 2009Rebecca Wells The purpose of this study was to identify attributes of communitybased coalitions associated with member perceptions of greater impact. Based on Hackman's model of work group effectiveness, we hypothesized that member effort, knowledge and skill, and performance strategies would affect their perceptions of coalition impact. Findings from a lagged regression on a sample of forty-five youth-oriented coalitions indicated that two aspects of member effort were associated with subsequent perceived impact, as were performance strategies for both coalition governance and community interventions. There were no associations, however, between member knowledge and skill and perceived impact. These results suggest that leaders may improve perceived coalition impact by encouraging member participation in discussions and interventions and by developing effective strategies for both governance and implementation. [source] Advanced home care: patients' opinions on quality compared with those of family membersJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 2 2004Bodil Wilde Larsson PhD Background., Advanced medical care in the patient's home setting is becoming more common. Many of the patients who receive this kind of care have severe illnesses and are unable to respond to questions about the quality of care. The research question was: are the patients' opinions congruent with those of family members? Aim., To explore and compare the relationship between patients' perception of the quality of care and close family members' perception of this care as well as their perception of the patients' perception. Methods., Sixty-seven patients receiving advanced home care, 82 family members (54 matched patient + family member pairs) participated. Data were collected using a short version of the quality from the patient's perspective questionnaire modified to advanced home care. Results., A high degree of perceptual congruence was found between patients and their family members. The similarity was also high between family members' own opinion and their appraisal of how the patient perceived the care. A subgroup of family members who met the patient once a week or less often deviated from this pattern. Conclusion., Patients' views on the quality of care are congruent with the opinions of family members if they meet every day (live together) and share the same everyday and care-related experiences. The results can be understood in the light of empathic accuracy theory. Relevance to clinical practice., The findings of this study have important implications for clinical nursing practice. Family members' perception of the quality of care may be a valuable data source for nurses in the case of advanced home care if the patient and family member share the same everyday, care-related experiences, otherwise family members' perception tend to be more critical than those of the patients themselves. [source] A new scale to measure family members' perception of community health care services for persons with Huntington diseaseJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 3 2010Valmi D. Sousa PhD CNS-BC RN Abstract Rationale, aims, and objectives, Huntington disease (HD) is a progressive genetic brain disease leading to disruptive cognitive, behavioural and physical impairments. Persons with the condition and their caregivers need appropriate and accessible health care services to help them manage the disease adequately. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a new scale that measures family members' perception of community health care services (CHCS) for persons with HD. Methods, A methodological design was used to examine the initial reliability and dimensionality of the CHCS scale among 245 family members of persons with a diagnosis of HD. Data analysis consisted of computing Cronbach's , coefficients, calculating the 95% confidence interval for , and performing item-analysis and exploratory factor analysis. Results, Reliability of the scale based on Cronbach's , was 0.83. Factor analysis using principal component analysis and varimax rotation suggested that three interpretable factors underlie the scale. Factor 1, HD knowledge, had , = 0.82, eigenvalue of 4.67 and explained 33.42% of the variance; factor 2, HD community resources, had , = 0.62, eigenvalue of 1.68 and explained 12.02% of the variance; factor 3, individualized HD management, had , = 0.77, eigenvalue of 1.45 and explained 10.39% of the variance. Conclusions, Findings from this study provide evidence of both construct validity and internal consistency reliability of the CHCS scale. Further psychometric testing of the scale in other samples of family caregivers of persons with HD is warranted. [source] Members' perception of their participation in the governance of cooperatives: the key to trust and commitment in agricultural cooperativesAGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009Peter Österberg This study explores the extent to which members' assessment of their cooperatives' degree of success is related to various member attributes, notably the members' perception of their participation in the governance of the cooperatives. Three categories of member attributes are identified: satisfaction with the profitability of farm operations, age of the member, and experience from board work. The cooperatives' degree of success is measured as members' commitment towards cooperatives, and members' trust in the board of directors. The data originate from a mail survey among 2,250 Swedish farmers. The results indicate differences in members' commitment and their trust towards directors to be due to farm profitability, the members' age and experience as directors. After adding members' perception of their participation in the governance as a covariate, most of the other differences are explained by this variable. Age is still partly associated with trust towards directors; older farmers have less trust. [EconLit Classifications: Q13, D23, D72]. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Factors associated with constructive staff,family relationships in the care of older adults in the institutional settingINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVIDENCE BASED HEALTHCARE, Issue 4 2006Emily Haesler BN PGradDipAdvNsg Abstract Background, Modern healthcare philosophy espouses the virtues of holistic care and acknowledges that family involvement is appropriate and something to be encouraged due to the role it plays in physical and emotional healing. In the aged care sector, the involvement of families is a strong guarantee of a resident's well-being. The important role family plays in the support and care of the older adult in the residential aged care environment has been enshrined in the Australian Commonwealth Charter of Residents' Rights and Responsibilities and the Aged Care Standards of Practice. Despite wide acknowledgement of the importance of family involvement in the healthcare of the older adult, many barriers to the implementation of participatory family care have been identified in past research. For older adults in the healthcare environment to benefit from the involvement of their family members, healthcare professionals need an understanding of the issues surrounding family presence in the healthcare environment and the strategies to best support it. Objectives, The objectives of the systematic review were to present the best available evidence on the strategies, practices and organisational characteristics that promote constructive staff,family relationships in the care of older adults in the healthcare setting. Specifically this review sought to investigate how staff and family members perceive their relationships with each other; staff characteristics that promote constructive relationships with the family; and interventions that support staff,family relationships. Search strategy, A literature search was performed using the following databases for the years 1990,2005: Ageline, APAIS Health, Australian Family and Society Abstracts (FAMILY), CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Dare, Dissertation Abstracts, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Social Science Index. Personal communication from expert panel members was also used to identify studies for inclusion. A second search stage was conducted through review of reference lists of studies retrieved during the first search stage. The search was limited to published and unpublished material in English language. Selection criteria, The review was limited to studies involving residents and patients within acute, subacute, rehabilitation and residential settings, aged over 65 years, their family and healthcare staff. Papers addressing family members and healthcare staff perceptions of their relationships with each other were considered for this review. Studies in this review also included those relating to interventions to promote constructive staff,family relationships including organisational strategies, staff,family meetings, case conferencing, environmental approaches, etc. The review considered both quantitative and qualitative research and opinion papers for inclusion. Data collection and analysis, All retrieved papers were critically appraised for eligibility for inclusion and methodological quality independently by two reviewers, and the same reviewers collected details of eligible research. Appraisal forms and data extraction forms designed by the Joanna Briggs Institute as part of the QARI and NOTARI systematic review software packages were used for this review. Findings, Family members' perceptions of their relationships with staff showed that a strong focus was placed on opportunities for the family to be involved in the patient's care. Staff members also expressed a theoretical support for the collaborative process, however, this belief often did not translate to the staff members' clinical practice. In the studies included in the review staff were frequently found to rely on traditional medical models of care in their clinical practice and maintaining control over the environment, rather than fully collaborating with families. Four factors were found to be essential to interventions designed to support a collaborative partnership between family members and healthcare staff: communication, information, education and administrative support. Based on the evidence analysed in this systematic review, staff and family education on relationship development, power and control issues, communication skills and negotiating techniques is essential to promoting constructive staff,family relationships. Managerial support, such as addressing workloads and staffing issues; introducing care models focused on collaboration with families; and providing practical support for staff education, is essential to gaining sustained benefits from interventions designed to promote constructive family,staff relationships. [source] The Beavers Systems Model of Family FunctioningJOURNAL OF FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 2 2000Robert Beavers Family competence and family style are the two main dimensions of the Beavers Systems Model of Family Functioning. The competence dimension ranges from optimal through adequate, midrange and borderline to severely dysfunctional. The style dimension ranges from centripetal to centrifugal. When the two dimensions are combined, they diagramatically define nine distinct family groupings, three of which are relatively functional and six of which are thought to be sufficiently problematic to require clinical intervention. A family's status on the competence and style dimensions may be established with the Beavers interactional scales. The self-report family inventory may be used to evaluate family members' perceptions of their status on the competence dimension. The reliability and validity of the self-report instrument and observational rating scales have been documented in over thirty papers and books published by the Beavers research team since 1970. The model has proved useful in training, research and clinical work. [source] We're Decent People: Constructing and Managing Family Identity in Rural Working-Class CommunitiesJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 2 2004Margie L. Kiter Edwards Using grounded theory methodology, I establish family identity management as an important type of invisible work that connects women's household-based domestic activities with community members' perceptions and treatment of them and their family members. Detailed observations of household routines and family interactions, as well as in-depth interviews with working-class women living in two rural trailer park communities, provide insight into the meanings women assign to this labor, and their motivations for performing this work. I describe the strategies that women use to accomplish the work, examine how the work supports family life and child development, and explain how the residential environment influences the organization and accomplishment of this work. [source] Faculty opinions about a revised pre-clinical curriculumMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 3 2002Daryoush Tavanaiepour Introduction Medical schools having innovative curricula have been encouraged to ascertain the levels of satisfaction of faculty members with the curriculum. Faculty at schools that employ problem-based learning (PBL) have been shown to have positive perceptions, but not all schools are in a position to adopt PBL on a large scale. This study sought to determine faculty members' opinions about a new curriculum that is less ambitious than one utilizing true PBL. Context and setting Since 1997, the University of Otago Medical School (Dunedin, New Zealand) has had an integrated, modular pre-clinical curriculum that emphasizes clinical relevance. It has proved popular with students. This study focused on faculty members' impressions. Methods We surveyed faculty members' opinions with a questionnaire identical to one used in studies at PBL schools. Faculty compared the students and their own levels of satisfaction in the old and new curricula on 7 to 10 items. The overall response rate was 85·4% (152 of 178). Results Perceptions of the new curriculum were positive among teachers who taught during the pre-clinical years and those who taught the students only after they reached the clinical years. Results for individual questions were in the same direction and generally similar in magnitude to those reported on identical items for PBL. Conclusion We conclude that a hybrid curriculum that is more acceptable to many traditional teachers and students than is PBL has almost as great a positive effect on faculty members' perceptions of students' abilities and of the curriculum as does PBL. [source] Faculty attitudes towards medical communication and their perceptions of students' communication skills training at Dalhousie UniversityMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 6 2001Donald B Langille Setting Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Objectives (1) To assess the attitudes of full-time clinical faculty members towards medical communication using the newly developed Attitudes Towards Medical Communication Scale; (2) to determine faculty members' perceptions of communications training for students and residents. Methods An anonymous self-completion survey was sent to 233 full-time clinical faculty members. The questionnaire asked about faculty attitudes towards medical communication, and assessed faculty members' views of student and resident training in communication. Results Faculty scored highly in the Attitudes Towards Medical Communication Scale, with a mean score of 51·5 (SD 4·1) out of a possible 60. In univariate analysis, rating of personal enjoyment of teaching, rating of the importance of teaching, and having attended at least one faculty communications workshop in the previous 5 years were significantly associated with higher scale scores. When these factors were assessed using linear regression, only having attended a workshop and higher rating of the importance of teaching remained significant. Faculty assessed student training in communications skills poorly overall. When assessing seven specific communications areas, more than 20% rated this training as poor for six of the areas for third- and fourth-year students and for five of the areas for residents. Conclusions Clinical faculty at Dalhousie have very positive attitudes towards medical communication, and more highly positive attitudes are found in those who have attended a communications workshop. Despite this evidence that faculty appreciate the importance of medical communication skills, many assessed students' training in this curriculum area as poor. [source] Perceived versus reported social referent approval and romantic relationship commitment and persistencePERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, Issue 3 2008PAUL E. ETCHEVERRY The current study examined social network influence processes on romantic relationship outcomes by obtaining the reported opinions of social referents as well as romantic relationship members' perceptions of social network members' opinions. Participants were 254 (151 women) college students from the United States involved in romantic relationships along with a male and female friend who all completed surveys regarding the participants' romantic relationship. This work demonstrated that perceived normative beliefs of social network members significantly mediated the effects of reported social network approval on relationship commitment. Participants' reports of relationship commitment were found to mediate the effect of subjective norms on relationship persistence. Along with network members' relationship approval, participants' satisfaction was found to predict participants' normative beliefs. [source] Member Commitment and Participation in Local Emergency Planning CommitteesPOLICY STUDIES JOURNAL, Issue 3 2000David J. Whitney Research on Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) has suggested that members' perceptions of group processes and participation activities mediate the relationship between organizational context and LEPC effectiveness. Data from 57 LEPCs support the importance of organizational commitment in predicting member participation and the predictive power of some of organizational commitment's previously identified antecedents. However, the data failed to support two hypotheses about the effects of organizational context on group process and of member participation on LEPC effectiveness. These findings suggest ways to increase the effectiveness of voluntary, quasi-public organizations such as LEPCs, citizen advisory panels, and planning boards. [source] ORIGINAL RESEARCH,COUPLES' SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONS: Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a Shared Sexual Concern of Couples I: Couple Conceptions of EDTHE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 10 2009William A. Fisher PhD ABSTRACT Introduction., Erectile dysfunction (ED) may be regarded as a shared sexual concern with a significant negative impact on both patients and their partners. Aim., The current research sought to explore the degree of concordance or divergence of couple members' perceptions of the specific functional impairments characterizing the man's ED, and the concordance or discordance of their attitudes, beliefs and experiences about the male partner's erectile difficulty. Methods., Questionnaires were sent to partners of men who participated in the Men's Attitudes to Life Events and Sexuality (MALES) 2004 study, who consented to their partner's involvement. A modified version of the questionnaire used in the MALES study was employed, adapted to reflect the female partner's perspective. Questionnaire responses were analyzed in relation to responses provided by male study participants. Main Outcome Measure., A 65-item questionnaire assessing women's perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes regarding aspects of ED. Results., High levels of concordance between couple members were observed across almost all items. Women's perceptions of both the specific functional impairments characterizing their partner's ED and the frequency of the partner's erection difficulty were strongly associated with assessments the men themselves had made. Significant associations were also observed between couple members' responses relating to their beliefs about the causes of ED, effects of ED on the relationship, communication about ED, finding a solution to ED, and attitudes toward medication. A number of specific male,female discordant perceptions and attitudes were also identified. Conclusions., Findings of this study demonstrate a high degree of concordance in couple members' perceptions of the male partner's ED, and in their attitudes and beliefs about ED. Specific instances of discordance between couple members may contribute to treatment avoidance or couple conflict. Fisher WA, Eardley I, McCabe M, and Sand M. Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a shared sexual concern of couples I: Couple conceptions of ED. J Sex Med 2009;6:2746,2760. [source] |