Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Work Practices (work + practice)
Kinds of Work Practices Selected AbstractsA review of generalization methods used in empirical social work literatureINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WELFARE, Issue 4 2009Marina Lalayants This article reviews methods currently used for generalization of findings, based on a review of a representative sample of empirical research studies drawn from three major social work research journals: Social Work Research, Journal of Social Service Research, and Research on Social Work Practice, over a 10-year period (1996,2005). Findings revealed a greater discussion of generalizability limitations in comparison with the past, and other types of generalization methods such as conceptual generalizations and qualitative comparisons of study results with those of other studies. Relatively low usage of quantitative comparisons of sample to population and replication procedures was detected. Implications of these trends are discussed and approaches for improvements are explored. [source] Sex Differences in Perceived Family Functioning and Family Resources in Hong Kong Families: Implications for Social Work PracticeASIAN SOCIAL WORK AND POLICY REVIEW, Issue 3 2009Joyce L.C. Ma Although enhancing family functioning has become a rising concern of social workers in Chinese contexts such as Hong Kong, little has been known on perceived family functioning and family resources. To fill in this knowledge gap, this article reports part of the results of a telephone survey conducted in Hong Kong, aiming to identify the sex differences in these two areas. The results of the study have shown that Chinese women perceived better affective involvement, one of the crucial indicators of family functioning, than Chinese men. However, among the different family resources, men rated better physical and mental well-being whereas women's social connection was stronger than men's. Further analysis have shown that the linkage of three family resources (namely stress coping efficacy, time spent with family and income) to perceived family functioning was statistically significant irrespective of genders. Implications of this study for social work practice are discussed at the end of the article. [source] The Sufic Paradigm for Stress Management and its Contribution to a Model of Social Work PracticeASIAN SOCIAL WORK AND POLICY REVIEW, Issue 2 2009Zulkarnain A. Hatta This article presents Sufism as a model for helping to alleviate human miseries. As the instability, contradictions, and stress of the socioeconomic structure create a frantic search for relevant modes of treatment, the theories and methods espoused in Sufism present an alternative approach to be taken up in the interest of more effective practice; especially in the field of social work, psychology, and counseling. Sufic masters or teachers, by the nature of their work are social workers; hence, their role in helping stressed people is discussed. Existing tools of measurement that can test stress levels are used in order to present Sufism as being compatible with the mode of scientific inquiry. The article shows that sticking to traditional psychoanalytic, behavioral, transactional and analytical practices, to name a few, limits the avenues of help that can be offered to those in need. Social workers and human service agencies have to work in collaboration with religious institutions and other spiritual organizations in order to better serve the population. [source] Innovative Work Practices, Information Technologies, and Working Conditions: Evidence for FranceINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 4 2010PHILIPPE ASKENAZY We investigate the impact of new work practices and information and communication technologies (ICT) on working conditions in France. We use a unique French dataset providing information on individual workers for the year 1998. New work practices include the use of quality norms, job rotation, collective discussions on work organization, and work time flexibility. Working conditions are captured by occupational injuries as well as indicators of mental strain. We find that individuals working under the new practices face greater mental strain than individuals who do not. They also face a higher probability of work injuries, at least for benign ones. In contrast, our results suggest that ICT contribute to make the workplace more cooperative and to reduce occupational risks and injuries. [source] High-Commitment Work Practices and Downsizing Harshness in Australian WorkplacesINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 3 2007RODERICK D. IVERSON This study examines the relationship between high-commitment work practices (HCWP) and downsizing. The results based on a large, representative sample of Australian workplaces supported our predictions. Consistent with previous research, HCWP was positively related to workforce reduction. However, workplaces with more HCWP used less harsh strategies (e.g., more employee-friendly approaches to downsizing) such as voluntary layoffs and early retirement than the harsher strategy of compulsory layoffs. The implications of these findings are discussed. [source] U.S. High-Performance Work Practices at Century's EndINDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 4 2006JOSEPH R. BLASI This study examines the incidence, industry differences, and economic environment of work practices in the United States in 1994 and 1997 using census data from a nationally representative random sample of establishments. Self-managed work teams were used by a majority of workers in some sites. Work-related meetings had higher incidence. A high-performance work organization is used in about 1 percent of establishments. There were significant industry differences associated with globalization, namely, imports and exports. [source] Contested Resources: Unions, Employers, and the Adoption of New Work Practices in US and UK TelecommunicationsBRITISH JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 3 2007Matias Ramirez The pattern of adoption of high-performance work practices has been explained in terms of strategic contingency and in terms of union presence. We compare the post-deregulation/privatization changes in work practice at AT&T, Bell Atlantic and British Telecom. On the basis of these cases, we argue that the choice of new work practices should be understood as a consequence not only of the company's resources or changes in its environment, nor of a simple union presence, but also as a consequence of the practices' effects on union power, the nature of the union's engagement, and the union's strategic choices. [source] Work Design for Flexible Work Scheduling: Barriers and Gender ImplicationsGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 1 2000Ann M. Brewer The purpose of this article is to examine the nature of work design in relation to flexible work scheduling (FWS), particularly in respect to participation by women and men. There is a paucity of research evidence on this topic. Work design, essentially an artefact of enterprise culture, is constructed by the social rules of place, distance and time. Work practices that assume that work tasks are only conducted in the workplace during standard work time in the proximity of co-workers and managers do not, in the main, support FWS. While there is no significant evidence in this study that women and men perceive the barriers differently when considering taking up the option to engage in FWS options, the study addresses the reasons for this using a large survey of the Australian workforce. This article concludes that it is time to redefine these critical work design dimensions, in relation to existing power structures, in order to inject real flexibility into the workplace. [source] Rethinking social work ethics: what is the real question?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WELFARE, Issue 2 2010Against difference, Responding to Stephen Webb's, diversity in social work' Jose J. Rethinking social work ethics: what is the real question? Responding to Stephen Webb's ,Against difference and diversity in social work' Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 246,252 © 2009 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare. In his recent article, Stephen Webb argued that the real question for social work ethics concerns ,recognising the Same and of restoring the principles of equality and social justice'. This argument also included raising questions about what should be considered an appropriate philosophical basis for progressive social work ethics. In his view, social work's emancipatory potential has been blunted by overstated and philosophically ill-informed human rights claims about difference and diversity. He suggested that French philosopher Alain Badiou offers social workers a ,set of conceptual devices for rethinking social work ethics'. I argue that pressing his points into Badiou's philosophical mould is unlikely to lead to a progressive social work practice, let alone solve the issues identified by Webb. Badiou's philosophical pronouncements about ethics are of questionable value and offer little or no assistance to social workers seeking to establish an ethical grounding for their professional practice. [source] The role of law in welfare reform: critical perspectives on the relationship between law and social work practiceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WELFARE, Issue 1 2006Suzy Braye This article considers the complex relationships between law, welfare policy and social work practice, in order to address the question of what role legal frameworks might play in achieving welfare policy and professional practice goals. It traces how law has developed as a core component of professional practice, and challenges some of the false expectations placed upon it. It then draws on findings from an international knowledge review of law teaching in social work education to propose a model for understanding how professional practice incorporates legal perspectives, and proposes ways in which legal frameworks can provide positive and constructive vehicles for accountable practice. [source] Guest editorial: the ethnography of memory in social welfare and social work practiceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WELFARE, Issue 4 2002Darja Zavir First page of article [source] Four themes in youth work practiceJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Mark Krueger With the purpose of contributing to the research and discussion about youth work as a contextual, interpersonal process of human interaction, it is suggested that youth work is like a modern dance that works best when youth workers are present, in sync with youth development rhythms for trusting and growing and making meaning in an atmosphere that supports their interactions. The article includes a brief definition of youth work, a method of reflective practice, and descriptions of the four themes,presence, rhythmic interaction, meaning making, and atmosphere. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 33: 21,29, 2005. [source] Exploring the perceived effect of an undergraduate multiprofessional educational interventionMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 6 2000Article first published online: 25 DEC 200 Context Improved teamwork and greater collaboration between professions are important factors in effective health care. These goals may be achieved by including interprofessional learning in the undergraduate medical curriculum. The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Liverpool organized a pilot two-day multiprofessional course involving all the health care related disciplines. Objective The present study examined the perceived effect of the multiprofessional course on the work practice of these newly qualified health care professionals. Method The views of former students who took part in the pilot course were collected using a semi-structured interview schedule and analysed using a qualitative data analysis software package QSR NU*DIST. Results Two main themes emerged. These centred around role knowledge and interprofessional attitudes. Data indicated that participants perceived the course to have increased their knowledge of the other professions and that this effect had persisted. Reported benefits to their working practice included facilitating appropriate referrals, increasing professional empathy and awareness of other professionals' skills, raising confidence and heightening awareness of the holistic nature of patient treatment. Participants reported forming negative attitudes towards other professions during their undergraduate education. They believed these had been partly encouraged by course tutors. The pilot course was perceived to have had had little effect on these attitudes. Changes occurred once the newly qualified professionals started work. Conclusions The results support the idea that interprofessional educational interventions must be tailored to specific learning goals to be implemented successfully, and that interprofessional education should be prolonged and widespread to have a real impact. [source] Using reflective learning to improve the impact of short courses and workshopsTHE JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, Issue 1 2004Dr. Jennifer Moon BSc, MPhil Abstract For a variety of reasons, short courses and workshops often have no impact on workplace practice and are, therefore, a waste of money. The notion of "impact" on work practice is introduced, and it provides a focus toward which all elements on a short course should contribute (including the administrative processes). This article discusses the distinction between teaching and learning and some variables about the quality of the learning process that should be taken into account: the approach the learner takes and the learner's stage of conception of the structure of knowledge. The support of good-quality learning is a principal attribute of good teaching, and the nature of good teaching is discussed on this basis. Teaching and learning in a short course can usefully be structured by a framework to improve the impact of short courses and workshops. This also provides a structure for reflective activities. This article briefly discusses the definition of refiection and considers how it might be implemented. Finally, as another tactic in the focusing on impact, the components of short courses are analyzed on the basis that every component needs to work toward the improvement of the impact of the course. [source] Sex Differences in Perceived Family Functioning and Family Resources in Hong Kong Families: Implications for Social Work PracticeASIAN SOCIAL WORK AND POLICY REVIEW, Issue 3 2009Joyce L.C. Ma Although enhancing family functioning has become a rising concern of social workers in Chinese contexts such as Hong Kong, little has been known on perceived family functioning and family resources. To fill in this knowledge gap, this article reports part of the results of a telephone survey conducted in Hong Kong, aiming to identify the sex differences in these two areas. The results of the study have shown that Chinese women perceived better affective involvement, one of the crucial indicators of family functioning, than Chinese men. However, among the different family resources, men rated better physical and mental well-being whereas women's social connection was stronger than men's. Further analysis have shown that the linkage of three family resources (namely stress coping efficacy, time spent with family and income) to perceived family functioning was statistically significant irrespective of genders. Implications of this study for social work practice are discussed at the end of the article. [source] The Efficacy of a Community-Based Project in a Chinese ContextASIAN SOCIAL WORK AND POLICY REVIEW, Issue 1 2009Joyce L. C. Ma In this paper, the authors report the results of an exploratory study which assessed the service efficacy of a collaborative service initiative developed by a university academic department and a community-based social service agency in a socially deprived and remote community in Hong Kong. The project aimed to foster mutual help and self-help of low-income families and deepen their social connection with the community. Service efficacy was assessed using a structured questionnaire and a focus group interview. After participating in the service project, the well-being of the participants has become better and their family relationships have improved. They have developed a stronger sense of belonging toward the community. The preliminary findings support the importance of creating social network in social work practice for low-income families residing in a deprived and remote neighborhood. [source] Contested Resources: Unions, Employers, and the Adoption of New Work Practices in US and UK TelecommunicationsBRITISH JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Issue 3 2007Matias Ramirez The pattern of adoption of high-performance work practices has been explained in terms of strategic contingency and in terms of union presence. We compare the post-deregulation/privatization changes in work practice at AT&T, Bell Atlantic and British Telecom. On the basis of these cases, we argue that the choice of new work practices should be understood as a consequence not only of the company's resources or changes in its environment, nor of a simple union presence, but also as a consequence of the practices' effects on union power, the nature of the union's engagement, and the union's strategic choices. [source] Inclusion or control? commissioning and contracting services for people with learning disabilitiesBRITISH JOURNAL OF LEARNING DISABILITIES, Issue 4 2006Liam Concannon Accessible summary ,,The rise of new public management has seen the role of the social worker becoming increasingly administrative and less about face to face contact with service users. ,,When commissioning managers seek to help people with learning disabilities plan their services, who actually makes the decisions? ,,Direct payments are proposed as the answer for people with learning disabilities to take the lead, but is this a real shift in power from managers to service users? This paper examines what commissioning and contracting means for people with learning disabilities. It asks if the voices of service users are heard when it comes to planning their services and, more significantly, are their choices respected and acted upon by commissioners? The government believes the introduction of direct payments will change the way social care is administered, by placing both the decision-making and funding, firmly in the hands of people with learning disabilities. However, the question remains as to how far this can be successful, considering the complicated administration and financial processes involved. The paper explores new ground in terms of research by investigates the effects that new public management, in the form of commissioning and contracting, has on the lives of people with learning disabilities. It looks at the relationship between the service user, care manager and commissioner, and asks whether management structures help individuals or actually create further barriers to participation and inclusion. Summary This paper seeks to critically assess the impact made by the introduction of commissioning and contracting as a new culture of social care in learning disability services. It offers an evaluation of the growth in importance of the user as consumer. Does the commissioning and the contract process give users with learning disabilities a greater influence over their services and ultimately their lives? It is suggested that far from empowering people with learning disabilities to have a say in the services they want, the emerging culture of business contracts and new public management transfers power firmly back into the hands of professionals making the decisions. Social work practice is changing in response to major shifts in social trends and at the behest of market values. Traditional models are being rejected and the challenge for social work is to adapt itself to operate within a competency based paradigm. The paper argues that at the centre of this new culture is a government use of a system of performance management that successfully drives down cost. Thus there remain contradictions between the adoption of a mixed economy of care; services planning; consumerism; resource constraints; and the communication difficulties experienced by many people with learning disabilities. [source] Service user participation in diverse child protection contexts: principles for practiceCHILD & FAMILY SOCIAL WORK, Issue 4 2009Karen Healy ABSTRACT Promoting the participation of children and parents in child protection practice is one of the most complex and sensitive areas of social work practice. Increasingly, child protection legislation and policy in many parts of the world enshrines ideals of service user participation. Yet, with the exception of extensive discussion about family group conferencing, the principles and methods for achieving participatory practices in child protection work remain underdeveloped. We use the term ,child protection' to refer to a broad spectrum of child and family welfare services aimed at prevention of (or intervention to address) child abuse and neglect. This spectrum of services includes intensive family support, family support, domestic violence, statutory child protection and child and family advocacy services. In this paper, we present findings from the first phase of a 3-year study into participatory practice in child protection. In this paper, we present findings from a qualitative analysis of interviews with 28 child protection practitioners across five domains of child protection work. Our analysis reveals three core principles of participatory practice underpinning these practitioners' accounts as well as contextual differences among them. We conclude with a discussion of the educational implications of our findings. [source] Missing siblings: seeking more adequate social responsesCHILD & FAMILY SOCIAL WORK, Issue 3 2009Julie Clark ABSTRACT Little is known about the experience of family and friends when a young adult goes missing, less is known about how siblings make sense of the experience. Police assistance to locate the missing person may be sought but there is little recognition of going missing or missingness as a social issue, and there is little or no adequate social response to the needs of those left behind. This paper links knowledge of siblings, loss and grief to an understanding of this phenomenon. It presents the methodology and findings of an exploratory, qualitative study into the experiences of nine adult siblings of long-term missing people in Australia and presents the themes drawn from their accounts. The themes are briefly elaborated using direct quotations from participants in the study and represented in a diagram. The paper seeks to develop greater understanding of the inter-relationship between missingness and other social issues, to give voice to the views of participants and to encourage practitioners to engage more purposefully in work with family and friends affected by this issue. Some implications for social work practice are presented. [source] Congruence and co-operation in social workers' assessments of children in needCHILD & FAMILY SOCIAL WORK, Issue 4 2007Dendy Platt ABSTRACT This paper examines the concepts of congruence and co-operation in social work practice with children and families. It describes findings from the author's own research and attempts to deconstruct the interaction of the two phenomena. Using material from other published research, the paper proposes a model and suggests methods for analysing congruence and co-operation in the practice context. The key implication is that the depth of a social worker's understanding of a family situation may affect his or her assessment of parental co-operation. [source] Identifying and assessing cases of child neglect: learning from the Irish experienceCHILD & FAMILY SOCIAL WORK, Issue 2 2005Jan Horwath ABSTRACT Although child neglect is arguably the most prevalent form of maltreatment in the western world, studies of social work practice in cases of child neglect are limited. This paper seeks to add to the body of knowledge by describing a small-scale study completed in the Republic of Ireland of social work assessments in cases of child neglect. The findings are based primarily on an analysis of case files, but reference is also made to practitioners' and managers' responses to a postal questionnaire and focus groups. The study findings highlight that social workers interpret the assessment task and process in different ways. Variations in the interpretation of the task appear to be influenced by workload pressures, resources and local systems, with teams focusing either on immediate safeguarding issues or on both safeguarding and the longer-term welfare of the child. Individual variations amongst workers irrespective of team were more apparent in the way practitioners approached the assessment task. For example, practice varied regarding which professionals and family members were contacted as part of the assessment, the type of communication workers had with children and carers, and the use the social workers made of information on case files. The paper concludes with a discussion of the role of the team in determining the focus of assessments and the subjective factors which impact on the way the individual social worker works with children, families and other professionals. [source] Threshold decisions: how social workers prioritize referrals of child concernCHILD ABUSE REVIEW, Issue 1 2006Dendy Platt Abstract This paper examines local authority social workers' decision-making when considering referrals of children, where the concerns are on the margin of child protection procedures. In doing so, it describes the findings of a qualitative research study undertaken in the policy context of attempts to ,refocus' social work practice in the late 1990s and early twenty-first century. Data collection involved interviews with social workers and parents in 23 cases. Conclusions are that referrals were evaluated on the basis of five key factors, specificity, severity, risk, parental accountability and corroboration, the use of which determined whether an initial assessment or an investigation of alleged abuse took place. The analysis builds on previous work in the child protection field, but demonstrates how the application of these factors differs between cases of child concern and cases of child protection. Policy implications concern the complexity of decision-making in the uncertain context of limited referral information and it is proposed that the simplistic notion of a continuum of abuse is now outdated. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] FS13.5 Occupational contact dermatitis: printer worker's viewpointsCONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 3 2004Terry Brown Introduction:, Occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) is very common in the printing industry due to contact with chemicals, paper, and wet work. It can be avoided by adequate protective measures, but the effectiveness of intervention depends heavily on the employer's and employee's awareness of this health risk. Objectives:, The study aimed to collect information on the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of print workers about the risk of OCD and methods of prevention. Methods:, A series of focus groups were held with print workers, health and safety officers and managers to discuss their awareness of dermal risk factors, risk behaviour at work, attitudes to health and safety and options on possible preventive measures. A number of companies were also visited to observe, overtly and covertly, the normal work practices. Results:, OCD was not perceived to be either a major problem or a health and safety priority. There was general agreement about the processes and work practices that could cause skin problems. However, work practices varied considerably and did not always reflect this awareness. There was general concern about the type and availability of personal protective equipment, especially gloves and after-work skin cream. The provision of an occupational health service was generally felt to be inadequate, and no company had a policy in place that specifically addressed skin care. Conclusions:, These findings highlight the urgency to intensify health and safety education on skin care within the printing industry. Recommendations were developed for the evaluation of a series of risk reduction strategies. [source] Economic Policy and Women's Informal Work in South AfricaDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 5 2001Imraan Valodia This article examines the gender dimensions of the growth in informal and flexible work in South Africa and the government's policy response to this. It outlines the growth in informal and flexible work practices and, as illustrative examples, analyses how trade and industrial policies and labour market policies are impacting on the growth of informal and flexible work. It is argued that the South African government's trade and industrial policies are shifting the economy onto a path of capital intensification. Allied to this, firms are undergoing a process of extensive restructuring. These developments are further promoting the growth of flexibilization and informalization, and thereby disadvantaging women. The article demonstrates that whilst the government offers a vast package of support measures to big business, its policy is largely irrelevant to the survivalist segment of small business, where most women in the informal economy are to be found. The picture for labour policy is more diverse. Aspects of the labour legislation are promoting the growth of a dual labour market, whilst there seems to be some tightening up of practices aimed at bypassing aspects of the protection provided to workers. [source] Managing the Transnational Law Firm: A Relational Analysis of Professional Systems, Embedded Actors, and Time,Space-Sensitive GovernanceECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2008James R. Faulconbridge Abstract This article argues that the relational approach can be particularly effective for addressing debates about the varieties of capitalism and the dynamics of institutional contexts. Using the case study of transnational law firms and data gathered through interviews with partners in London and New York, it makes two arguments. First, it suggests that the relational approach's focus on the behavior of key agents when new or different work practices are encountered helps explain the management of institutional heterogeneity by transnational corporations (TNCs). Such an approach reveals the peculiarities of professionals and professional service managers and how they affect the response of globalizing law firms when home- and host-country business practices diverge. Second, the article shows how relational approaches can help disaggregate descriptions of national institutional systems to reveal the importance of studying their constitutive practices. Understanding these microlevel variations, which is missed by macrolevel categories like Anglo-American, is essential for explaining how firms cope with institutional heterogeneity. The author therefore argues that a better understanding of the effects of TNCs on national business systems can be facilitated by further developing the actor- and practice-focused analyses promoted by relational approaches. [source] ,Allowed into a Man's World' Meanings of Work,Life Balance: Perspectives of Women Civil Engineers as ,Minority' Workers in ConstructionGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 1 2009Jacqueline H. Watts This article discusses how women working as civil engineers within the UK construction industry perceive work,life balance and considers strategies they use to achieve this. The findings are presented of a qualitative research project that explored the experiences of women in this role, focusing on the subcultural context of a profession that is dominated by the values of presenteeism and infinite availability. A feminist post-structuralist framework is used to analyse how women negotiate their personal and professional time and the extent to which their other roles as carers and nurturers unsettle male work practices in this highly gendered profession. There are gradually increasing numbers of women in professional construction roles and their success appears to depend on being able to fit in to the dominant masculine culture of long working hours and the male pub gathering. Despite an increased presence, women's minority status in construction continues to challenge their professional identity and this is central to the conflict many face between the dual roles of corporate worker and private non-work person. [source] The attitudes of health care staff to information technology: a comprehensive review of the research literatureHEALTH INFORMATION & LIBRARIES JOURNAL, Issue 2 2008Rod Ward Objectives:, What does the publicly available literature tell us about the attitudes of health care staff to the development of information technology in practice, including the factors which influence them and the factors which may be used to change these attitudes? Methods:, Twelve databases were searched for literature published between 2000 and 2005 that identified research related to information technology (IT), health professionals and attitude. English language studies were included which described primary research relating to the attitudes of one or more health care staff groups towards IT. Letters, personal viewpoints, reflections and opinion pieces were not included. Results:, Complex factors contribute to the formation of attitudes towards IT. Many of the issues identified were around the flexibility of the systems and whether they were ,fit for purpose', along with the confidence and experience of the IT users. The literature suggests that attitudes of practitioners are a significant factor in the acceptance and efficiency of use of IT in practice. The literature also suggested that education and training was a factor for encouraging the use of IT systems. Conclusions:, A range of key issues, such as the need for flexibility and usability, appropriate education and training and the need for the software to be ,fit for purpose', showed that organizations need to plan carefully when proposing the introduction of IT-based systems into work practices. The studies reviewed did suggest that attitudes of health care professionals can be a significant factor in the acceptance and efficiency of use of IT in practice. Further qualitative and quantitative research is needed into the approaches that have most effect on the attitudes of health care staff towards IT. [source] High-involvement work practices and analysts' forecasts of corporate earningsHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2006George S. Benson Research has shown that high-involvement work practices are positively related to corporate financial performance. However, it is unknown if investors are able to use information on high-involvement practices to predict the performance of specific companies. In this study, we examine earnings forecasts for a sample of Fortune 1000 firms and find professional stock analysts consistently underestimated the earnings of firms that made greater use of high-involvement practices during the 1990s. Based on data collected from newspaper articles and annual reports, we argue that these lower estimates resulted from a lack of information on innovative HR practices. Recommendations to managers for disseminating information on and leveraging highinvolvement HR practices are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Family-friendly work practices in Britain: Availability and perceived accessibilityHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2006John W. Budd Using linked data for British workplaces and employees, we find a low base rate of workplace-level availability, and a substantially lower rate of individual-level perceived accessibility, for five family-friendly work practices' parental leave, paid leave, job sharing, subsidized child care, and working at home. Our results demonstrate that statistics on workplace availability drastically overstate the extent to which employees perceive that family-friendly policies are accessible to them personally. British workplaces appear to be responding slowly, and perhaps disingenuously, to pressures to enhance family-friendly work practices. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||