Environmental Sustainability and Social Work: A Rural Australian Evaluation of Incorporating Eco-Social Work in Field Education

Climate change poses significant threat to the wellbeing of global society. Addressing this change has as yet generated no fixed blueprint for social work practice and education. This paper reports on a formative evaluation of one Australian initiative to address this transformative opening in social work field education. Prompted by service users' and workers' experience of the impact of drought, a rurally located social work course team amended the field education curriculum to include a focus on Environment and Sustainability. This learning goal was added to the existing learning goals derived from the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Practice Standards. Students and field supervisors were surveyed on their experience of meeting this new learning goal. While most expressed confidence in understanding the concepts involved, they clearly lacked assurance in interpreting these in practice encounters. Considering their qualitative input suggests that this topic is making a transition from being on the margins of social work to becoming mainstream. Their open-ended responses indicate that the incorporation of environmental sustainability into practice is at a threshold stage of development. Further enactment of eco-social work at the local level is concluded to be supported by using a transformative learning framework in facilitating critical reflection and collaborative dialogue for effective change.     

Measuring Social Return on Investment

Strategic decision making and evaluation in philanthropic giving and social investment requires good‐quality information about the social impacts of that investment. One way to meet this need is by calculating a social return on investment (SROI) measure, akin to the return on investment (ROI) approach used in business analysis. Despite much buzz in the field, SROI measurements are rarely used, in part because of the complexity of the calculations but also because of a number of thorny and often expensive organizational challenges associated with implementing an SROI process. This article explores these implementation challenges by comparing four social venture organizations in the health care field—two in the Netherlands and two in the United States—that have utilized some sort of SROI measurement. We summarize the SROI process and identify the specific organizational challenges in each case. Lessons learned from this analysis include the value of process versus product and the importance of fitting the type of measurement to the organizational context. We conclude with a summary of best practices for organizations and social investors who might try to make effective use of SROI measures.     

The Challenges in Developing an Online Applied Statistics Program: Lessons Learned at Penn State University

Numerous professional fields have an increasing need for individuals trained in statistics and other quantitative analysis techniques. Today there exists great potential to fulfill this need by providing opportunities through online learning. However, to provide a high-quality education for returning adult professionals seeking advanced degrees in applied statistics online, many challenges need to be overcome. Based on our experience developing Penn State University’s online program in applied statistics, we discuss the evolution of the program’s curriculum, recruitment and development of online faculty, and meeting the requirements of students as important areas that require consideration in the development of an online program. We also highlight program evaluation strategies employed to ensure innovation and improvement in online education as cornerstones to a program’s success.     

高校资助体系的分析与建构*——以绩效评估为视角

高校资助体系绩效评估既是高校资助工作体系的重要内容,又是完善高校资助工作理论体系化的基础,不仅是 深化高校资助工作改革的重要策略、更是提高高校资助工作效益与效率的基本途径。当前高校资助工作体系,呈现出资助投 入立体化,资助形式多样化、资助主体多元化等特点。与此同时,由于主客观原因导致了资助工作仍然面临着认定程序失灵、 育人功能弱化、监督机制失范等困境,构建全方位、科学合理的动态认定机制,并将思想政治教育工作贯穿资助工作始终、进一 步完善监督体系,是当前高校如何做好资助工作的迫切性战略任务。     

基于TOP SIS模型的济南市绿色GDP评价研究

本文从经济、环境和资源三个方面建立了绿色GDP评价指标体系,采用AHP法和变异系数法相结合确定评价指标权重,建立了城市绿色GDP评价的TOPSIS模型,并把该模型应用于济南近8年绿色GDP的综合评价,结果表明,济南市最近八年绿色GDP基本上保持在平稳发展水平,2005年最高,2006年最低,主要原因可能是2006年自然资源消耗和环境退化等造成的。     

制造云服务组合柔性评价指标体系研究

制造云服务组合作为提高云制造资源利用率、实现制造资源增值的关键途径之一,对于云制造的实施和开展具有重要作用。在明确制造云服务及制造云服务组合柔性概念的基础上,系统分析云制造全生命周期内制造云服务组合柔性的影响因素,并从任务发出企业的角度建立了包括四个一级指标和九个二级指标在内的制造云服务组合柔性评价指标体系,为进一步构建制造云服务组合柔性评价模型、完善制造云服务组合优选系统、实现高效智能化的制造云服务管理提供理论支持。     

皖江城市带区域科技创新能力评价实证分析

安徽皖江城市带是以承接产业转移为主题的规划区域,在促进区域协调发展、推进皖江城市带社会经济发展中发挥着重要作用,同时,在先进制造业,新能源、新材料等新型产业的科技创新活动中取得了辉煌的成就。基于2008—2013年皖江城市带科技创新原始数据,结合皖江城市带实际,构建科技创新能力评价指标体系,运用灰色关联度和主成分方法对数据进行分析,提出提升皖江城市带科技创新能力的政策建议。     

供应链应收账款融资信用风险评价

为区别于传统流动资产授信评价,在考虑供应链整体状况的基础上,对供应链融资模式中的应收账款融资信用风险的特征进行识别,构建供应链应收账款融资的信用风险评价指标体系。利用ANP法考虑各指标之间的依存和反馈关系,使用super decision软件计算得出各指标ANP权重,然后结合灰色综合评价法,对供应链应收账款融资的信用风险进行量化。     

冲动性购买情境下消费者后悔影响的实证研究

采用情境投射与普通问卷相结合的多样化研究方法,探讨冲动性购买负面后果的影响以及不同归因的消费者受影响程度是否不同。结果表明,如果第一次冲动性购买行为带来负面后果,再次遇到类似情境时消费者的购买冲动性和认知评价都会受到较大影响,他们往往降低自身的购买冲动性,倾向于不再购买,并且对下一次购买具有负面的认知评价。同时,不同归因的消费者对再次冲动性购买的认知评价存在差异。     

外贸企业汇率风险应急机制属性综合评价模型

企业管理者对于自身汇率风险应急机制情况的准确了解可以增强应对汇率风险的能力,如何客观地对汇率风险应急机制进行综合评价就显得至关重要。基于应急管理理论与汇率风险的特点,建立了汇率风险应急机制指标体系,然后利用层次分析法确定评价指标权重,运用属性测度理论构建了评价模型。最后通过算例分析,说明了该方法有可行性,能够为管理者提供科学、合理的决策依据。