Translating case management in a service for older people in Berlin

Case management is a coordinating process designed to align service provision more closely to the identified needs of people requiring assistance in the context of complex care systems. It is an approach that has crossed the borders of different national welfare systems where it has been adopted to address ostensibly similar problems. This empirically based but primarily methodological article draws on the author's doctoral research during which he spent an extended period in Berlin investigating a citywide case management service for older people in the context of German long-term care policy and legislation. It explores the extent to which a specific case study can illuminate how case management adapts in differing national welfare systems and highlights the particular methodological challenges of ‘translation’ and ‘equivalence’ in cross-national research. The article outlines how institutional context both shaped and constrained the Berlin case management service and highlights the necessity in cross-country research for a critical contextual examination of apparently similar features. This is particularly relevant where English words and expressions are directly absorbed into the local language, an important yet rarely addressed complicating factor.     

Issue and crisis management: Quicksand in the definitional landscape

The broad field of public relations is plagued by difficulties of definition, none more problematic than the definitional challenges facing issue management and crisis management. After considering the need for commonly understood language as a basis for meaningful discourse, the paper identifies the particular reasons for ongoing ambiguity in issue and crisis management and charts some distinct approaches which have developed within each discipline. It then analyzes how these evolutionary changes are creating further difficulties for defining the interplay between the two, and identifies a more integrated process approach focused on characterizing clusters of activities.     

New ways of looking at management information systems in human service delivery

The functional aspects of management information systems (MIS's) in human-service delivery agencies are critically examined from the viewpoint of a behavioral systems analysis model. This model distinguishes between MIS as an information-gatherer and as a system to control agency behavior and administrative decision-making. The choice of a particular MIS involves the consideration of the agency 's informational objectives, the extent to which the MIS exerts control over the decision-making process, and its cost-effectiveness. The behavior-analytic approach to MIS requires an evaluation of the way in which the system affects the behavior of agency personnel and, ultimately the clients.     

完善我国人口信息管理的思考

人口管理既是国家行政制度的必要组成部分,也是其他制度有效运行的支持性制度.综观各国人口管理制度的发展变革,要从推进整体政府建设的高度来改革人口管理,要通过构建合理的机制,运用先进的手段来提高人口管理的精细化水平.一要完善与实有人口信息采集相关的法规和制度,二要建立完备的个人身份登记信息系统,三要发挥综合管理机构权威作用,四要强化流动人口的信息采集、维护和实时动态更新.     

Applying marketing management and communication management theories to increase client retention in the short-term insurance industry

Businesses must retain their clients to remain profitable. The academic field of marketing management considers customer relationship management (CRM) as most appropriate to achieve this, while communication management focuses instead on public relations (PR). The purpose of this research was to analyse theories in these two disciplines and derive an integrated theoretical framework of CRM and PR client retention. The framework was then tested through in-depth interviews with short-term insurance clients and short-term insurance providers (brokers and direct insurers) in South Africa to gain perspectives from both sides. The importance of some fundamental elements found in literature were affirmed, two elements’ importance were questioned and it was established that three inconsistencies existed between what providers regard as essential to retain clients and what clients regard necessary for them to stay in a relationship with an insurance provider. This may explain the many unsuccessful client retention efforts of South African brokers and direct insurers. Six new CRM and/or PR elements, not found in literature, are presented in the article for exploration in future research. In order to assist client retention in the very competitive short-term insurance industry, results were applied to the core tenets of Niemann's (2005) SA model for the implementation of strategic integrated communication (IC). Finally, the authors present an integrated approach to client retention strategies in the South African short-term insurance industry, incorporating both marketing and communication theories.     

The contextualization of definitions of religion

The author insists on the need to take the social-structural context into account to evaluate the existing types of definitions of religion. Proposing a definition for the Western hemisphere, he then checks his definition against sociological studies referring to ‘new types of religiosity’ and concludes that sociologists should differentiate between meaning systems – of which religion is a sub-division – and spiritualities. In a second step, he discusses two sociological theories about religion and insists that sociologists should be more careful in using such theories by taking into consideration the type of religion the theory is concerned with. Finally, he suggests that rational choice theory and secularization theory might well be integrated and applied in a European context if we move to the level of the competing existing meaning systems.     

A social ecology approach and applications of urban ecosystem and landscape analyses: a case study of Baltimore,Maryland

The early interactions between plant, animal, and human ecology in the 1920s in the United States provide an initial basis for understanding and directing an integrated ecosystem approach to the study of sociocultural and biophysical patterns and processes of present day cities. However, whereas the human ecology approach of the 1920s and 30s was interested in metaphorical similarities with plant and animal ecologists, we propose a more integrated approach to human ecosystem observation and analysis. A critical feature to an integrated, urban ecosystem approach is the ability of researchers to address the spatial heterogeneity of urban ecosystems; i.e. the development and dynamics of spatial heterogeneity and the influences of spatial patterns on cycles and fluxes of critical resources (e.g. energy, materials, nutrients, genetic and nongenetic information, population, labor, and capital). An important question in this context is how differential access to and control over critical resources affect the structure and function of urban ecosystems.To address this heterogeneity, we illustrate a human ecosystem and landscape approach and how the concept of social differentiation can be applied spatially at different scales with a case study from our research in Baltimore, Maryland. Further, we identify different methods, tools, and techniques that can be used for an integrated, urban ecosystem approach.     

The role of mediatory myths in sustaining ideology: the case of Cuba after the ‘special period’

After the collapse of the Soviet bloc, management researchers devoted considerable energy to investigating ways to operate the transition to market economies. However, one country of the former Soviet bloc, Cuba, resisted transition and reaffirmed loyalty to the values of La Revolucion. Little is known about management in Cuba. This study seeks to approach one particular aspect of management in this country: the relationship between national ideology and management practice. To analyse the topic, qualitative data from Cuban managers and management professors were gathered over a 10‐year period. Results suggest that the dynamics of managerial ideology can be understood as the interplay of several processes operating at distinct levels: institutional, professional, organizational and individual. The interplay between conformance to the ideology and its use as a practical resource is a potential source of change and of conflict demands that are tackled with recourse to mediatory myths.     

Wie könnten wir Organisationsentwicklungen partizipativ gestalten?

Within this contribution, we discuss how the Design Thinking (DT) approach can be used by consultants to systematically integrate participatory aspects into change processes. Instead of perceiving employees as passive and resistant to change, the DT process aims at involving the workforce into the planning and implementation of change projects. Furthermore, we highlight why it is important to understand organizations as complex systems that require an iterative goal-oriented procedure to implement change holistically. The DT phases (inspiration, ideation, and implementation) are described, illustrated on the basis of case studies, and complemented by findings from behavioral sciences. To increase the likelihood that the DT mindset will be integrated into an organization’s structure, we underscore which aspects should be considered while embedding this user-oriented approach into an organization’s culture. Finally, we highlight the parallels between the DT approach and action research, as developed by Kurt Lewin, and discuss how DT can help to make the work within an organization more meaningful.     

Diversity Management – Mittel zur Anti-Diskriminierung,neoliberales Phänomen oder alter Wein in neuen Schläuchen?

Diversity Management is getting more and more popular. This development is being criticized by agents of the gender-approach. They object that the diversity approach lacks a sufficient theoretical foundation and that it is a neoliberal concept. In this article we try to analyze the concept of diversity management with the means of the sociological systems theory and to put it in relation to the gender approach. Thereby we show that diversity management is an approach of organizational development which can proof useful for both the employees and the company.     

Comparing local and national service systems in social care Europe: framework and findings from the STEPS anti-discrimination learning disability project

This paper outlines the methodology and findings of a cross-national comparison of social care services for people with learning disabilities in Europe, developed from the EU funded STEPS anti-discrimination project. The comparative framework developed for the project is profiled and summary findings are organised into thematic dimensions. Wide variations in service organisation were evident, providing particular challenges for those involved in cross-national research or social work practice. Key variation was evident between local and national systems, the varying impact of generic and specialist community care and the degree of individualisation in services, with various structural, funding and policy barriers to integrated social work and ongoing de-institutionalisation evident. Development priorities for inclusive and anti-discriminatory practice included individual funding and planning, self-advocacy and user involvement in quality management.     

The social practice of sustainable agriculture under audit discipline: Initial insights from the ARGOS project in New Zealand

One of the most interesting recent developments in global agri-food systems has been the rapid emergence and elaboration of market audit systems claiming environmental qualities or sustainability. In New Zealand, as a strongly export-oriented, high-value food producer, these environmental market audit systems have emerged as an important pathway for producers to potentially move towards more sustainable production. There have, however, been only sporadic and fractured attempts to study the emerging social practice of sustainable agriculture - particularly in terms of the emergence of new audit disciplines in farming. The ARGOS project in New Zealand was established in 2003 as a longitudinal matched panel study of over 100 farms and orchards using different market audit systems (e.g., organic, integrated or GLOBALG.A.P.). This article reports on the results of social research into the social practice of sustainable agriculture in farm households within the ARGOS projects between 2003 and 2009. Results drawn from multiple social research instruments deployed over six years provide an unparalleled level of empirical data on the social practice of sustainable agriculture under audit disciplines. Using 12 criteria identified in prior literature as contributing a significant social dynamic around sustainable agriculture practices in other contexts, the analysis demonstrated that 9 of these 12 dimensions did demonstrate differences in social practices emerging between (or co-constituting) organic, integrated, or conventional audit disciplines. These differences clustered into three main areas: 1) social and learning/knowledge networks and expertise, 2) key elements of farmer subjectivity - particularly in relation to subjective positioning towards the environment and nature, and 3) the role and importance of environmental dynamics within farm management practices and systems. The findings of the project provide a strong challenge to some older framings of the social practice of sustainable agriculture: particularly those that rely on paradigm-driven evaluation of social motivations, strong determinism of sustainable practice driven by coherent farmer identity, or deploying overly categorical interpretations of what it means to be ’organic’ or ’conventional’. The complex patterning of the ARGOS data can only be understood if the social practice of organic, integrated or (even more loosely) conventional production is understood as being co-produced by four dynamics: subjectivity/identity, audit disciplines, industry cultures/structure and time. This reframing of how we might research the social practice of sustainable agriculture opens up important new opportunities for understanding the emergence and impact of new audit disciplines in agriculture.     

Community well-being as a critical component of urban lake ecosystem health

Urban lakes are often monitored and managed with limited consideration of adjacent communities. Generally, when communities are considered in relation to urban lakes, they are viewed simply as sources of pollutants. Given the inevitable interactions between an urban lake and the surrounding inhabitants, the community must be considered explicitly when assessing the ecosystem health of urban lakes, as the two entities intrinsically comprise interrelated parts of a single ecosystem. In this study, the reciprocal links between a residential community and a series of urban lakes in South East Queensland have been examined to facilitate a dynamically linked, fully integrated ecosystem health assessment of constructed urban lakes. Residents’ attitudes towards, and values derived from, a series of urban lakes were surveyed, as well as residents’ behaviours which may impact upon urban lake health. The results indicate that residents derive both tangible and intangible benefits from the urban lakes, but feel little responsibility for lake health or custodianship over the lakes. Greater recognition within urban lake management frameworks of the links between urban lake systems and their surrounding communities may help to foster and enhance both community well-being, a greater sense of custodianship for such systems and improved management.     

Community-based household waste management: Lessons learnt from EXNORA's ‘zero waste management’ scheme in two South Indian cities

This paper presents two case studies on the efforts by a community-based organisation to promote a sustainable integrated waste management system in Indian mega cities. This effort was initiated in 1989 by a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) called EXNORA and is based on a ‘zero waste management scheme’ set up, run and financed by the residents themselves. As this model has been widely quoted as successful, the study aims at learning from two communities implementing this model.Results are reported from a survey of the two schemes that used various tools to assess both their performance and sustainability in selected residential areas of two Indian cities, Chennai and Hyderabad. The results indicate limited success of the schemes both in saving a significant fraction of the generated waste from dumping, and in rehabilitating the local poor. However, they show that motivated individuals can successfully set up and manage waste collection systems that lead to overall environmental improvements. The differences in the two schemes reflect how the local assets and contexts impact on the success of the scheme. The scheme in a rich neighbourhood of Hyderabad was less ambitious in its overall objectives and focussed on the provision of a waste management service, using the opportunity to provide local employment to a socially deprived fraction of the population. The scheme in a middle-class area of Chennai, although pioneering in its approach, suffered from diseconomies of scale and lack of social integration, making it less viable in the medium to long term. Both schemes suffered from a lack of community involvement, motivation and political support, which threatens the long-term sustainability of the enterprise. The research concludes that the role that communities can realistically play in management of their own waste depends on the local context. The system advocated by EXNORA seems to require significant local resources, and political and technical support which are hard to find and sustain without strong local leaders. Another model set up in the city of Visakhapatnam is finally introduced as an alternative. This is based on triangular contracts between the municipality, the residents and micro-enterprises and may provide a good solution in dealing with the technical and commercial aspects which communities find difficult.     

Resilience as Effective Functional Capacity: An Ecological-Stress Model

This article presents the premise that resilience rests on an ecological-systems conceptual base that explains how people adapt to stress and maintain their daily functioning. The resilience ecological-stress model presented here uses the ecological-systems perspective, commonly known as the person-environment approach, as a unifying, overarching framework to describe an integrated approach for social work research, education, and practice. It evolved over two decades as theory related to ecological systems theory and risk and resilience approaches were synthesized into a coherent whole.     

The human component of sustainability: a study for assessing "human performances" of energy efficient construction blocks

This paper presents an applied research aimed at understanding the relevance and the applicability of human related criteria in sustainability assessment of construction materials. Under a theoretical perspective, human factors consideration is strongly encouraged by building sustainability assessment methods, but the practice demonstrates that current models for building sustainability assessment neglect ergonomic issues, especially those ones concerning the construction phase. The study starts from the observation that new construction techniques for high energy efficient external walls are characterized by elements generally heavier and bigger than traditional materials. In this case, high sustainability performances connected with energy saving could be reached only consuming high, and then not very much sustainable, human efforts during setting-up operations. The paper illustrates a practical approach for encompassing human factors in sustainability assessment of four block types for energy efficient external walls. Research steps, from block selections to bricklaying task analysis, human factors indicators and metrics formulation, data gathering and final assessment are going to be presented. Finally, open issues and further possible generalizations from the particular case study will be discussed.     

From evidence to action: Applying gender mainstreaming to pay gaps in the Welsh public sector

Progress on reducing gender disparities remains painfully slow, despite efforts to identify the determinants of gender pay gaps and specify size and shape. Recent studies highlight the need for a more nuanced account of the way that public policy shapes organizational responses and insights into the types of organizational practices that diminish pay disparities. In response, this research reports on an action research intervention in three large Welsh public organizations, subject to a unique statutory equality duty. Data demonstrate how an evidence‐based gender mainstreaming approach facilitated the development of a ‘no blame’ strategy, which legitimized organizational proactivity through collaborative and empowering change management processes. The research contributes to the study of gender pay gaps by demonstrating that gender mainstreaming, with facilitative local conditions and supportive public policy, shapes action on gender segregation, with particular success in women's low‐paid employment. Conclusions highlight theoretical and policy implications arising from the research.     

Of Skilled Migration,Brain Drains and Policy Responses*

Developed countries are increasingly trying to attract skilled migrants, rarely giving any consideration to the impact that this migration might have on countries of origin. The debate on the “brain drain” is not new but it has taken on greater urgency in the context of a globalizing economy and ageing societies and this article reviews the evidence over time and space. It examines opposing interpretations of the impact of the skilled from countries of origin and goes on to examine the particular case of the migration of health professionals. Health workers are seen to be key to achieving basic welfare objectives in any country and their loss may be critical to countries of origin. Hence, the movement of health professionals may be central to any understanding of a brain drain. However, the case for a brain drain, even in this sector, is not straightforward. Specific country and place of origin of the skilled, place of training, appropriateness of training, fit of skills to needs, and the role of return and inmigration of health professionals all need to be taken into consideration. The article examines the case for a two‐tiered health training system, one for global markets and the other for local markets. Retention and return of the skilled are examined through the potential for outsourcing in both education and health care. The article concludes with an examination of policy approaches towards skilled migration and offers pointers towards a more balanced and integrated approach by placing the emphasis on development rather than control of migrants.