A Knowledge Framework Underlying Process Management*

Organizations are increasingly implementing process‐improvement techniques like Six Sigma, total quality management, lean, and business process re‐engineering to improve organizational performance. These techniques are part of a process management system that includes the organizational infrastructure to support the improvement techniques. The knowledge‐based view of a firm argues that organizational knowledge is the source of competitive advantage. To the extent that the process management system enables knowledge creation it should be a source of competitive advantage. This study investigates the underlying framework and factors of a process management system that lead to organizational knowledge creation. Prior studies have considered knowledge creation in process improvement, but none have considered the role of the process management system. Specifically, the study uses the case study method to investigate multiple levels (organization level and project level) of two firms using Six Sigma as their chosen process management system. Analysis of the cases reveals that the leadership creates a supportive infrastructure enabling process‐improvement techniques to effectively create organizational knowledge. Interestingly, focusing on decision‐making tools and methods may not be effective without developing a supportive infrastructure. The proposed framework provides a basis for organizational leaders to think about how to design and implement a process management system to better enable knowledge creation in organizations.     

Generating stories of resilience: helping gay and lesbian youth and their families

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth have often been forgotten in the provision of care to families. Not only are 10%-12% of all youth lesbian, gay, or bisexual, they all have families of origin and many also have "families of choice" that are dramatically increasing the numbers of persons who are directly affected. These youth can suffer disqualification ranging from internalized poor esteem and suicidality to physical danger, often at the hands of those very persons who are expected to care for them--families, educators, and health care providers. This article examines both how homophobia and heterosexism are both manifest and recovered from using case examples and offering therapeutic suggestions to clinicians.     

Children's feelings of school competence and perceptions of parents' work in four socio-cultural contexts

Associations between perceived qualities of parents' work and children's sense of competence were examined in four dual-earner family contexts differentiated by social class, ethnicity, and language background. Measures of perceived general academic and mathematical competence, knowledge of parents' work situations, and family background were group administered to 226 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. In three dual-earner family contexts, as spillover models would predict, children who felt more academically competent described their mothers' and fathers' jobs as having more positive and fewer negative qualities. However, in the fourth (dual-earner laboring-class Spanish-speaking) context, children who felt more academically competent described mothers' jobs in the least favorable terms. Findings underscore the need to consider whether developmental processes operate differently in different socio-cultural contexts and to consider both the problems and positive possibilities that may arise from specific conditions of parents' work.     

The relationship between implementation fidelity and educational outcomes in a school-based family support program: development of a model for evaluating multidimensional full-service programs

There is increasing recognition of the need for evaluations that identify program processes or mediators and assess degree of program implementation rather than focusing solely on outcome evaluation. This paper describes the application of complementary qualitative and quantitative evaluation procedures to assess the degree of implementation of multi-component family support programs for improving educational outcomes for at risk youth, and to assess the relationship between program implementation and outcomes. The qualitative evaluation involved prolonged engagement to identify common program domains or mediators. Using a method called Innovation Configuration Analysis, levels of implementation of program domains were explicated as well as an overall Implementation Fidelity Index. Strong positive relationships were found between overall program implementation and program-level outcomes achieved by student participants.     

Raising Children Amid the Threat of Deportation: Perspectives from Undocumented Latina Mothers

Despite the large number of families with at least one undocumented parent, little research has investigated mothering amid the threat of immigration enforcement. We present results of a community-based participatory study with 7 Latina mothers who describe their experiences of parenting while navigating the possibility of deportation. Undocumented mothers found meaning in caring for their children. Yet due to restrictions related to immigration status, mothers were unable to support their children as they intended and feared their deportations would leave children without care, contributing to psychological duress. We provide recommendations for practitioners working with mixed-status families.     

The Impacts of Individual Development Accounts,Assets, and Debt on Future Orientation and Psychological Depression

Individual development accounts (IDAs) have been adopted in communities across the country as a way of helping lower-income individuals accrue financial assets. These programs match the savings of program participants if they invest them in the purchase of a home, the creation or expansion of a business, or additional education. Beyond the financial benefits of holding assets, scholars have argued that they should also result in psychological benefits such as enhanced future orientations and decreased depression. This study tests this argument with data from a randomized controlled experiment involving 1,103 applicants to an IDA program. The findings show that assignment to the IDA program was not associated with either future orientation or depression 10 years later. The value of assets held at that time, however, was found to be negatively associated with depression. In addition, self-reported financial stress was found to be negatively associated with future orientation and positively associated with depression.     

Clinicians’ Perspectives on the Diagnosis of Antisocial Disorders in Adolescence

The intent of the study was to explore how professionals view the assessment and diagnosis of antisocial disorders such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD). Six professionals from varying theoretical orientations were interviewed in order to gain insight into how theoretical and clinical perspectives influence the diagnostic process of antisocial disorders. Data was analyzed using a qualitative, constructivist grounded theory research methodology. The findings from the research interviews suggest that clinicians perceive a multifaceted approach to diagnosis. Participants emphasized the importance of individualized assessment, differential diagnosis, the role of context and impairment, and the functional and stigmatizing effects of diagnostic labels. The results illustrate relative consistency among practitioners in the assessment and diagnostic process. Further, it appears that clinicians incorporate a biopsychosocial approach to conceptualizing ODD and CD. This type of qualitative research serves to develop a conceptual understanding of the diagnostic process related to antisocial disorders.     

Protecting Older People From Burglary: Prevalence of Security Devices in the Homes of Older Adults in Perth,Western Australia

ABSTRACT

Fear restricts the activity of older adults, potentially leading to social isolation and unhealthy life styles. Consequently, this population remains a priority for home security research and intervention. One option is to increase home security by installing security devices. However, little is known about how older adults protect their homes. In this study, 5,582 community-dwelling older people completed a cross-sectional survey. The survey was able to document the prevalence of security measures taken by older adults. More than 70% of the respondents had security screens and key-operated deadlocks and 148 (2.7%) respondents reported no security features. Respondents living alone had the lowest prevalence of home security devices. Female living alone protected their home differently from male living alone by installing different security devices. Logistic regression analysis indicated that older adults living in detached houses feel particularly vulnerable to burglary (p < .001). These survey findings have practical implication for burglary prevention.